There have been some situations on our hearts of late, heavy enough to entail some sleepless nights. Everyone told us that a life of ministry would be arduous, and I am constantly comprehending how much our hearts could hurt for our dear church family, as we fervently pray and seek their joy in the Lord at all costs. In an attempt to lighten the mood the other day, I asked the husband, "This is only the beginning, so this must not be that bad. It only gets harder, right?" I don't think it worked because he just hid his face behind his hands in silent defeat. In all seriousness, though, even if these burdens feel insurmountable, I am thankful that God grants wisdom to those who ask, and that He is well-pleased with a broken and contrite spirit, and that He is ultimately working out all things together for good. He is so good, more than we can ever hope to ascertain. I must confess that in times like these, I'm itching to escape to the flea market and its bounty of time-honored curios for a couple of hours. It always proves a soothing, lovely respite from the world.
What a beautiful post. Caleb and I are very involved with our church, teaching the students, and it is VERY overwhelming at times. But then I have that one little thing that makes me remember why we do it, and God shows us that we ARE making a difference. Just continue to ask Him for the strength to get through the tough days.
ReplyDeleteYou are an inspiration, dear.
Awe. Yes ministry does come worries and sleepless night. It's hard but there is nothing better than working for the Lord. We can trust that God will give us strength to continue this journey.
ReplyDeleteShall keep you in my prayers :)
i too love to wander around antiques. sometimes its just what is needed. Your church is so blessed to have you both!
ReplyDeleteYou're doing such a wonderful thing...I'm sure it will always bring challenges, but you're strong!
ReplyDeletethese photos are simply stunning and i love the way you write and how you express yourself. I hope things will get better
ReplyDeleteI am inspired by your ability to stay strong and how you recognize God's love and power. He makes all things work together for our good even if we have to go through rough patches first.
ReplyDeleteHey Helen & Alex
ReplyDeleteDefinitely praying for you guys, ministry is often a thankless labor of love and it burdens your heart so much because it's from the heart. Dedication to service stems from the purest form of love because it stems from God's example in loving the church the way He loves the church. But stay strong! This past semester break I got to go to Manila and meet up with Pastor Ed and he brought me to one of the churches that he planted in Manila and I was just reminded of God's sovereignty. We lose perspective of God's work when we're so close to it, but when we are able to take a step back we can see that He is always working and using us exactly when, where, and how we need to be used.
The hard times are reminders that we need to let God do the work and just be the instruments. That we need to rely on God and trust in His timing. =] Again, I'm praying for you guys and sending you love from the P.I.
-Aarika
You are doing such a wonderful thing! Stay strong!
ReplyDeletebeautiful photos. nothing beats a flea market trip to re-energize!
ReplyDeletea life in ministry is hard when you see your church family going through tough times and it's inevitable for your heart to hurt for them. i totally get you. but take heart that in anything that is going on, God has overcome and when it's finished you will see the fruit of His work in you. loving your blog.
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