Language of Love

Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
-Exodus 23:20

Oddly enough, I'm very calm. I leave in four days and yet I'm not panicked. P, fabulous as she always is, thought to rally the troops for supplies. K is bringing her spacesaver packing bags so that I can travel light. I have my passport and tickets. What am I forgetting? Its too late to learn Russian. The Cyrillic alphabet is too daunting anyway. There's really nothing to plan. I will need to be flexible and go with the flow. I like itineraries, so this will be a stretch for me. How strange to be traveling so far away with no touristy destinations on the agenda. I truly feel my dependence on God for this trip. I will need His prodding to know where to go, who to speak with, and what to do. What a lesson this will be for me!

I See You

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
-I Peter 5:8


On days like today, I am acutely aware that there is a devil and he intends to ravage everything good. It seemed like one frustrating event followed another as the day clicked away. I grew angrier and felt defeated as the school day crept to a close. And then it hit me. The devil is actively seeking to not only discourage, but destroy my collegues. I watched one event after the other unfold today and I realized that this was an actual attack. I don't say that lightly. I'm not the kind that blames things on Satan everytime the wind blows contrary. But there can be no mistaking the chaos that he is trying to cause between student, teachers, and friends. Recognizing this is part of the solution and now I know how to pray.

Deep and Wide

The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
-Genesis 1:2


Do you remember the first time you walked out to the end of the diving board? If you're anything like me, you didn't jump right in. You contemplated the deepness of the water, the height of the board, your fear of falling, and the judgmental stares of the onlookers. And, if you're anything like me, you probably backed off the board without jumping in. I did this several times. I distinctly remember the excitment and terror of looking down into the cool water at my own reflection. Jumping in had to be fun; otherwise why did everyone line up and wait their turn to take a running leap off? But there was always the equally matched doubt and fear.

I was reminded of this experience recently as I was working through my feelings about the upcoming trip to Ukraine. My plane tickets arrived yesterday and I felt my breathe catch in my chest. Suddenly I was out on the end of that board again. As I thumbed through the multiple tickets that make up my journey, I was filled with giddiness with a tinge of panic. But I can't back off the board at this point. I have to make peace with the water below and will my lead feet to move towards the edge.