The most comfortable chair of the day

I've got about three months before I leave for PNG. I've got much that still needs to get done, but I'm not worrying about it. Truly, I'm not. Don't get me wrong, I've got plenty of concerns about how this will all come together, but there is still a peace that I'm clinging to. I've told myself concerns are ok, I mean, how else do you get anything done?!!
Today I read these verses to start off my day- "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness."(James 3:17, 18 NLT)
Hmm, how to apply that today. --
I had an interesting day at work, and had some peaceful moments, where God worked through me, and a few moments where I got in the way of Jesus working (I can see looking back). Then, after all the work I needed to do was done this evening, I just felt God urge me spend some real quality time with Him. I went for a half hour drive out to my Grandparent's pond and cabin. There in an old rusty chair, surrounded by the changing fall colors, a cool breeze, the sound of birds and insects of all kinds, I really got to listen. Why had God wanted me to come out here, other than its one of my most favorite places on earth?!
After a few moments, I read the story of Mary and Martha and these verses, "But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41, 42 NLT)
Jesus knew exactly what Martha needed that day, just a dose of being at this feet, listening to Him, just like Mary had figured out. He knew I needed it too, before I started to run around again like Martha had.
Thank you Lord, for some extra special time with you this evening, and time to concentrate on the one thing worth being concerned about. Thank you for that place you provided, and for that rusty chair, where I got to sit at your feet.

Hurry up and... Wait.

I had waited 13 years for the end of the sentence that began with Go. So, you would think patience would be easy by now. I have had 4 1/2 years in the Army, plus ROTC throughout college, where get ready quick, then stand in line for a very long time, is a way of life. I'm a Labor and Delivery nurse, where frequently you admit the patient as quickly as you can, then often run around and just wait for a baby that may or may not come on your shift. It seems this is good training for the prep for going to another country.
I rushed around the week after it was approved for me to be going to PNG, getting paperwork completed for my work permit. It was sent on August 10th, 3-5 day US express mail. I get word it reached PNG on Aug 21, then finally hear its in the right hands to get completed on September 12!! There was some mix up at the post office there, but all in all I find it humorous it took over a month!!

The things we just take for granted here, like mail getting where we want it promptly, not going to happen there. They shop for groceries a month at a time, I have a hard time planning meals for the week. I drive myself everywhere I want to go, by myself, about 95% of the time here. I will never go anywhere alone in PNG.

Last month I received an email from PNG. The last line of his email was this-"when I go to the ends of the sea, God goes with me, but not always email...patience."

That patience is truly being developed in me now. God is teaching me to look for the reasons for the wait. Some are not always apparent immediately, but that's ok. The verses God has given me for this season of my life are--
Psalm 32:8
"The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you."
And
"The LORD replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed!
For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe
even if someone told you about it. (Habakkuk 1:5 NLT)
And I can't forget--
"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT)

All of these verses are helping with this new season of "hurry up and wait." None of them are specifically about patience, and I'm for sure not praying for patience, (learned in the past God gives you plenty of ways to grow it when you pray for it!!) but its certainly coming in handy right now. I can't wait to get there, to Papua New Guinea, but there is so much to be done. I have so much I want to do in Illinois, with family, my church, my job. They are all blessings God has given, and I want to enjoy them to the fullest while I can and help as much as I can, but it's still a struggle. Patience, and learning how to balance the urgent verses the important, lessons I need, and how I'm getting equipped. Ahh, God is working on me!!!

The Beginning

Since the age of 17 when God told me to "GO" forward with serving Him through missions, I was unsure of where He meant exactly by that single word.

It began when I was at a youth conference in Toronto, Canada, and a sermon about missions had just finished. The speaker asked if any where feeling Gods call and I wasn't even though I wanted to. I had always loved hearing about missions, reading of far away places and people. Then a few moments later I heard a almost audible voice say one word, "GO."

Each step of the way since then, He has made it clearer, and equiped me for the next part of the journey. From Nursing school at Olivet Nazarene University, to joing ROTC and being in the Army for four and half years, to coming home and growing even more in Him, to joining a launch team for Point of Change, a new church plant, God lead me each step of the way.

I'm going to share the devotional blog post, from a woman of God I highly respect, that helped to make the next step, and the whole calling clear.

My morning coffee- Sherry Sherwood -- What is God asking you to do today?
Posted on April 27, 2012
As I finish up the book of Colossians today, I feel God has given me a message for someone else. Just as God gave Paul the words He wanted him to speak to the Church at Colosse, I believe someone reading needs to hear what God has added to my morning coffee.

“Be sure to carry out the ministry God gave you.” This is Paul’s advice to Archippus in Colossians 4:17. Today as I reread through the book of Colossians, I get the strong impression that someone is running from what God has called them to do, not out of willful disobedience but because they are convinced they missed their chance – that they have to settle for plan B because they did not accept God’s will when they were first called by Him.

Paul understood what it means to be called by God for a specific purpose. Paul said he was chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ (1:1), that he was appointed as God’s servant to proclaim the good news (1:23) and given the responsibility of serving His church by proclaiming the entire message of Christ (1:25). But Paul did not start his adulthood following God’s plan for his life. He was actively involved in the Jewish religion but had not surrendered to the Lordship of Christ and His plan for Paul’s life. God took great measures to get Paul’s attention on the road to Damascus, bringing him back to the true purpose of his life.

Paul had much to be ashamed of as he accepted God’s call on his life. He could have walked away saying, “I’m not worthy of this call” but instead he accepted what Jesus did on the cross for him and walked into the forgiven life, willing to be and do whatever God created him for. Paul reminds me a lot of my father, who was called as a teenager to preach God’s word yet resisted God’s plan for his life, completely walking away from both God and the Church. At the age of 34, he stopped running and accepted God’s call into full-time ministry. After 32 years as a pastor, he is now retired but continues to serve God in the Church knowing that his life is not his own, but that he has been chosen by God.

Paul reminds us that we, too, have been rescued from darkness (1:13). We were once far away from God but Christ died so we could be reconciled to Him and brought into the presence of God “holy and blameless,” without a single fault (1:21-22). The enemy tries to convince us we are not worthy of what God is calling us to do. But hear this today: You were dead because of your sins but God made you alive with Christ when he forgave ALL your sins. He canceled the record of the charges against you and took it away by nailing it to the cross (2:13-14).

God chose you and God is calling you. It’s time to stop running and “complete the work you have received in the Lord” (4:17). The fact that you ran from God’s call no longer matters. The past regrets are just that – past. It no longer matters how you have sinned, but Christ is all that matters and He lives in you (3:11). You died to this life and your real life is now hidden with Christ in God (3:3). And not only are you with Christ, Christ lives in you (1:27). His power is at work within you, giving you the strength to work hard for Him (1:27).

And so my prayer for you today echoes Paul’s desires for the Colossians. I pray that God will give you complete knowledge of his will, that you will have spiritual wisdom and understanding as you continue to follow Him. I pray you will represent Christ today clothed in love and accessorized with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness as an outflow of Christ living in you. I pray you will work willingly, making the most of every opportunity. I pray you will fully accept what God is asking you to do today with no resistance.

--so, I had not been like Paul, or even like Sherry's dad, and completely run away from my calling, but I hadn't truly been seeking God about it either. I was content with where I was. I told myself that Army thing was enough of a mission. God had told me to go home, made it clear He wanted me helping out as a youth group leader, and I was seeing Him work in all of this. He told me clearly "Point of Change", so I joined a new church, and I love it. I was no longer seeking His will regarding my "Go" calling, thinking I had already went. Weren't Army bases in Texas, Hawaii, and Missouri enough!??! Can't I just enjoy my family and live a "normal" life in Illinois? (pun intended, I live in Normal, IL on Walnut street, can't get much more classic Americana than here.)

Then, that night came in April when God woke me up and I read what Sherry said, and I knew I had been neglecting my original calling. Not intentionally, I was following what God had said, my life is fully His, but I had stopped asking God about the "Going" and He wanted me to ask again. This time when i did, it became clear. Pictures of a place I had never been to, only heard about, came to mind. Pictures of other people God had called to go to this place, others who God had given a passion for Papua New Guinea! I had only seen the pictures once, in a brief mission talk, but I will never forget them or that night when God woke me up to read Sherry's blog. Now the next part of the sentence has become clear- "Go...to Papua New Guinea."

So where is PNG?

The Journey

So, I'm creating this blog to journal and inform others about all that is happing in my life lately. Still finding it hard to explain, so most likely it will be fragmented bits and pieces, but God is putting all that together for his glory! Getting equipped for the journey!