Let me begin with this verse that has been a mainstay in my life since my early 20s when anxiety plagued me and peace was elusive. Here, it has once again risen to the surface of my mind…….
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6-7
I had a dream two nights ago that I was in a motorcross race across dangerous terrain where life and death were in the balance. I gripped on for dear life and twisted and turned my body in order to manage the rocky, treacherous path which was necessary to climb in order to reach the summit of the mountain. I could feel each of my muscles tensing up and the ache for water in my throat. By the time I woke up I was both exhilarated AND exhausted, and the above verse was ringing in my ears.
It all went something like this~
Lord, help me not to be anxious about…….. school battles with Gerard and that fact that he thinks we live in Silicon Valley, CA where everyone is rich filmmakers, about the amount of time the older kids are spending on devices to “finish their studies,” the 150 plus mosquito bites (read: budding scars) that Judah has all over his legs, the fact that several 10-inch long lizards are creeping around the house at night, the fact that the water stopped again in the midst of my sudsy shower and the water pump broke at the house leaving us without water for 12 hours, the fact that the washing machine aslo broke down in the middle of my cleaning laundry (still yet to be fixed), Luke who twisted his ankle trying to jump over barb wire while filming an Insta video😳, the fact that I’ve lost several pounds in two weeks from sickness and stress, about how fast (or Slow) the paperwork is moving along through the courts, the Truck driver Strike in Bogota that has blocked traffic into the city and shut down schools, the message from our host mentioning how we may need to get to the store quickly before the strike threatens to leave the shelves bare at the supermarket, Gerard telling me there are several serial killers in the US and that we need to be very careful when we get home, the general feeling of fatigue we have here (it might be relaxation but I don’t want to be too hasty in claiming that), and the general feelings of homesickness that abound. I think there is more but I will just go ahead and stop there ~LOL
Lord, please supply all of our needs for the moment and help me remember your gracious provisions so far. We are thankful for…… the gracious staff here who have helped us navigate each and every hurdle, the growth in Gerard as he learns more and more English each day and even greets his siblings each morning, the patience to handle the meltdowns and tantrums that come once every couple days and end within 30 minutes, the diligence of the older kids to be working hard on studies, the deep sleep we are all having here, the good news that the Strike ended today! and our adoption decree is complete, the offering from family to spend quality time with the kids when we get home, the sweet messages we have received about being missed and prayers being lifted, the pool and poolside loungers, the extra washer and dryer we are able to use which is actually much bigger, the spunky and very entertaining dogs that really need to come home with us ( yesterday Greta, our faithful German Shepherd, starting licking Braesen's head in the pool because she thought he was drowning~ he was just holding his breath underwater), the fact that several 10-inch long lizards are ‘cleaning’ up the house of spiders and mosquitoes, the amazing view of the Andes mountains from our porch, the Colombian meal that the staff made for us last night for dinner so we could have a break, the immense privilege it is to give opportunity and love to a lost and lonely boy who really deserves a chance, the untold changes this experience is having in the lives of all of us.
Lord, Hear our prayer. Bring your peace. Guard our Hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus. Amen
As always, we thank you all and are thrilled that we are past the halfway point! We now have only 2 weeks to go before being near you again!
By: Caty Rinehart
