A New Thing: January 2010

Several years ago I was living and working in Canada. I had been involved youth ministry for about five or six years at that point and knew that God had a call on my life. As a child I always loved the TV show the littlest hobo, for those of you who don't remember the show, it about a stray German shepherd that travels from place to place helping people. The dog always arrived as he was needed and then would leave again when his job was done. One day while telling Rachael about the show I realized that I was a little like that dog, God would use me in places and then call me on to the next place. "Maybe tomorrow I just might settle down, until tomorrow the whole world is my home" that was a line from the theme song and it was how I was feeling in my life. It was at that time that I began to seek God on His calling for me and what it might look like. After a few weeks of praying and thinking about things, God gave me a picture and a clear vision of His call on my life. He showed me that I was a torch in His hand that he would use to light fires for His glory. God would call me places and use me there for a season to light a fire. It is why I have always been more of a visionary and dreamer in my life, God made me that way for a reason. That picture God gave me was so vivid that I immediately shared it with Rachael and it is something that I have held onto tightly for the past several years. After moving here to Czech I have said to Rachael that maybe this time God will use us not only to light a fire but perhaps to tend the fire. To stay longer and be a part of something over the long haul. Only God knows for sure and that is the way it should be, but from our part we are committed to being here as long as the Lord leads. All of this is great and you may be wondering why now am I writing this, so let me share with you what happened today. I woke this morning and saw that I had a text message on my phone from last night. The message was from a girl in our youth group here and it read "the message is under the door mat” hmm that is a strange text to receive but it sparked my curiosity and of course I went to my front door and looked under the mat. There was a folded piece of paper, I opened it up and this is what I saw.

This is the picture that was folded up and placed under my door mat. I immediately texted Nela (the girl who placed it there) and I asked her what made you do this and have I ever shared that story with you before? She said she had never heard me say anything about this before and this picture came to her while several ladies in our church were talking about a vision they had of God lighting a fire here in this town. What had caused her to share this note with me? She said she just felt like she should. Wow. Personally I was floored and extremely encouraged by this. Three things I noticed about this picture. First, obviously the torch, the picture God gave me of His calling on my life exactly as I had seen it. Second, the fire is not yet lit but it is about to be. And lastly, beside the fire sits a stack of wood, which to me indicates this is a fire that will need some tending.

To me this is all way more then a coincidence and there is no other explanation for it. God is moving and confirming His call and plans for our lives. Praise God and may His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Amen

No, that's not a mistype on the title...I meant to write 2009. (Although writing 2010 sometimes is beyond my belief! A date like that still seems a little too futuristic to me.) Yet, here we are: January 27, 2010!

What is unbelievable about that date? Well it could be that Jane Fonda underwent arthroscopic surgery on her right knee in 1992. Or it could be that the World's longest subaqueous tunnel was opened in Honshu-Hokkaid in 1983. (http://www.brainyhistory.com/days/january_27.html) But who really cares about that? The date is significant to us because one year ago today we arrived in Hlinsko! One year ago! It seems to have flown by in the blink of an eye!

As they say, a picture says a thousand words. So here are some pictures to celebrate our first year in Czech. They are in reverse however beginning with Christmas 2009.

Our church celebrates God's provision to make a very large mortgage payment on the church building!