To sum up our first week of traveling: nothing went as planned. Our car started having transmission troubles on day one, and I had to drive it back to Eastern Pennsylvania the day after leaving home to get fixed. It was a bigger job than we could wait for, but Jamie's grandma graciously loaned us her car for a month. Beckham had a fever and diarrhea the day before we left, but he started intense vomiting on Friday. By Sunday Jamie had come down with the same virus causing us to have to stop traveling and spend the night at a hotel. Sunday we also had to start canceling our plans for the week. Two stops visiting family, one stop visiting partners, a meeting with a pastor and speaking at a one of our partnering churches. Monday we made the drive to my parents house in Missouri, and I came down with a mild version of the same bug a couple hours before we got to their house. So five days after we left home we had a different car, we had canceled 90% of our plans and our entire family had the flu. Like I said: Not as planned.
The last few days I have constantly been brought by the Lord to Proverbs 16.
"The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (16:9).
It took a lot of planning and coordinating to schedule our stops and church visits this week. To see it all have to get canceled wasn't easy. I wanted to fight it and push through even though we were sick, but God continually brought that verse to mind. I can plan all I want, but God directs what will happen. No matter how hard I strive and work it doesn't change the fact that all fruit and growth come from God. Our team of partners is growing because God is causing them to grow. Just like Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth." Once again I am humbled to be reminded that I am called to a life of one thing: obedience. Many days I forget that and try to convince myself that I am called to the task of causing the growth of our team of partners or teaching others how to grow closer to the Lord. However, I am called to be obedient, and God will cause the growth. Right now that means resting so our family can recover from sickness. It also means praying that God will cause the growth of our team of partners.
We appreciate all your prayers for our family. Jamie and I are recovering and starting to feel better, but Beckham is still vomiting and still has diarrhea and a fever. He is staying hydrated with pedialite but is starting to look thin. Praise the Lord that we have a God who is good and loves our son more than we ever could. Although this week has been difficult, God has kept up our family's faith, and we know that this situation will be used for our good and His glory.
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