I just want to express my gratitude to all my readers who have emailed, commented and called us here in Germany. It has been such an encouragement to know friends, family, and even people we don’t know personally are thinking of us and praying for us.
I was so blessed by the responses I received to my latest post. It seems the more transparent I’ve been with people in the last few years, the more I’ve been able to minister to them. Over and over again, I hear how people express their relief, finally hearing someone say how it really is, letting them know that even people in full-time ministry have the exact same problems, emotions and challenges, but that it never has to end there. Someone I was talking to the other day told me how she wishes she were stronger, never again to question God’s faithfulness or to stay humble without situations to keep her humble. You read biographies of certain people of faith, and they never seem to mention the negative side of life, so it can leave you thinking that there is something wrong with you, because you’re not “as strong” as they seem to be. That’s just not the sort of thing you write in books, you know. I told her that she has already reached the strength she’s looking for – because each time she seems to fall, she turns to Jesus. HE is her strength. Our strength is found in our weakness.
Heroes used to be people whom everyone else thought had everything together. Today, however, people expect their heroes to be honest about who they really are – but with the help of the Holy Spirit and others, TOGETHER stand up and help others stand up again. My historic idol has always been Joan of Arc. I want to go where no one has gone before and do what no one has done before. But it wasn’t until I recognized my own human weakness and focused on the grace of God was I able to become a hero to others. Until then, I could only present theories, and needless to say, without much fruit. It has been an anchor for me to hear people say, “thank you for your honesty. Now I know I’m not alone and how I can deal with my situation”, and one response was: “By surrender we win the victory” – yeap, that’s the idea. We surrender first to God in all things, then we receive strength to withstand the enemy, and as Brandon put it in his blog, we begin to recognize “God’s hidden wisdom.”
I’m so excited about God’s faithfulness and wisdom. He truly is sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing – He is OTHER. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, “thank God”!
Latest News> In the meantime, I have gotten closer to receiving official permission to get a job in Germany. There is a company waiting to hire me. This shouldn’t take more than a couple more weeks. This is a big answer to prayer! Thank you for your continued prayer support.
amber glory 