miracles around kitchen tables

Several weeks ago, as we looked ahead and planned to tell our family and friends about God's work in our lives, the song from The Sound of Music kept running over in my head, especially the "climb every mountain" part:

"Climb every mountain, search high and low
Follow every byway, every path you know.
Climb every mountain, ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow, 'til you find your dream!

A dream that will need
all the love you can give,
Every day of your life
for as long as you live.

Climb every mountain, ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow, 'til you find your dream!"

So many emotional and maybe even difficult conversations seemed like huge mountains - totally overwhelming and nearly impossible to scale. What we didn't anticipate, but should have, was how God would lead us over those mountains and through those streams and there would be no need for us to climb. We were so encouraged by our visits with our grandparents over the past week or so. We've also talked to siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, close friends... and every time we have been amazed at how God has provided so richly. As we sat around various kitchen tables, sharing supper (and/or boxes of Kleenex), we felt the tremendous love and support of our families.

And now, so many of you have responded with so much encouragement - we've had so many emails just since we sent out emails last night and so many hits on our blog. I know that people are reading and praying, and we are so thankful for each and every one of you. Our grandparents commented at how God has provided to us the resources that we need to serve Him in this way - our language skills, our past experiences - and yet one of those most important resources is our families and friends. With each of you supporting us, we know that we will have the prayers that we need.

Our calling is not bigger or more important than any of yours. I fear that perhaps our news leaves some of you  feeling as though you are not fulfilling your calling from God or "doing enough". Some of you have actually alluded to this in your emails. Please do not allow Satan to convince you of that! We are called to Mexico, but many of you are called to stay here and share the Gospel with your classmates, neighbors, friends at school, and co-workers. Each of us has a mission field, and not all of them are foreign. I pray that you can be inspired and encouraged by reading this blog - not from reading my words, but from seeing the Lord's hand. Above all, I pray that you can see His hand in each of your lives, and I pray that each of us can respond to His calling as it manifests itself in our individual lives.

"And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: That we may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which we commanded our fathers. And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be night unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day" (I Kings 8:54-61)

May God richly bless each one of you, and may we all walk more perfectly towards our heavenly goal.