Welcome to the Club!

I have two young women in my life who are both sailing in the same boat, in different continents, learning two different languages, raising small children.  They are young wives and mothers.  They are adventurous.  They have sacrificed much.  By all outward appearances they are to be admired, and they are.  However, in both of their hearts lie an unsettled, unknown twinge of fear and uncertainty.  It’s not created by their lack of faith.  Oh, quite the contrary.  It’s created by lack of experience.  I, on the other hand, have the experience they lack.  Guess what … I, too, have unsettled and unknown twinges of fear that lay in my heart.

 

This morning these two girls are floating in and out of my mind.  As I sit facing the window in my room watching snowflakes fall from a grey sky, I am reminded of how bitter sweet this time of year can be.  From the very start, it was wrapped in mixed messages.  I get that impression from Luke 1:26 – 38.  Mary, the unsuspecting, a virgin, betrothed to a man and expected to live a routine life as a Jewish mother, comes face to face with the unexpected.  Shazamm!  In an instant, her life is rocked, her foundation altered, her future put into the hands of a different owner … not her own.

That’s how these two young women in my life could be described.  Both have given up “normal” lives.  Both have given up the routine for the unexpected.  Both have realized that their lives lie in the hands of a different owner.  That’s where the unsettled, unknown twinge of fear finds its’ roots.  You see, these girls have answered a calling in their lives, to follow God, and their husbands, to other lands to be used to bring a message of hope … and healing … and love.  Noble?  Yes.  Difficult?  Undoubtedly.  Impossible?  No Way!

I want to encourage these girls this morning.  On my own, I can’t.  As I pray and think and wonder and day dream about these girls, I am reminded to see things from God’s perspective … and that’s where I get a “spirit conceived” idea. 

"I am the Lord’s servant.  May everything you have said about me come true." 

 And then the angel left her.  Luke 1:38

Just like Mary, my two precious girls have heard God’s voice.  They have uttered those words, through trembling lips; I am the Lord’s servant.  They have shown Him they trust Him and desire everything He has said to come true by moving their lives to different cultures.  Now, they are left … alone.

That’s where the mixed messages start trickling in:  If I am being so obedient, why do I feel so lonely?  If I have said yes, why do my feelings say no?  If I am doing the right thing, why do I always question?  If I am hearing the voice of God, why do I doubt myself?  If I have answered a call, why is this so hard?

Sweet girls.  You have now joined the ranks of a group of women who have all walked in your shoes.  We’ve gotten blisters, sore feet, and cramps.  We’ve walked barefoot, limping and often very slowly.  Yet, we all continued to walk … one step at a time … one foot in front of the other.  You are not alone.

To be weak is to be human.  To be strong is to be undeserving of an even stronger Father.  You have begun a journey that will lead you to unknown and unfamiliar places.  But, you are not alone.  Every woman in this club has traveled this same path.  Oh sure, we’ve done it in different countries, in different clothes, in different climates and with various ages of children following behind us … but we’ve all trod this path.  And, if a thousand different voices could rise up through these words they would all shout the same message:

It’s worth it.  Welcome to the club!

Hang on, dear girls.  Hang on to the laughter of your little ones.  Hang on to the hand of your man.  Hang on to the memories of Mamma’s waving goodbye.  Hang on to the prayers of those back “home”.  Hang on to the ones who’ve gone before you.  Hang on to emails that proclaim great hope.  Hang on to the words in your BOOK.  Hang on to long baths that allow you a moment to breath.  Hang on to dirty faces that need stability in your hands.  Hang on to long grocery store lines that give you an opportunity to really look at those you’ve been called to.  Hang on to uncertainty because it forces you to be certain only of the One who sent you.  Hang on to trouble because it provides the opportunity to cling to Hope.  Hang on to hurt only long enough to give it to your Healer.  Hang on to HIM … because when He is all you want … then it’s He who is all you need.

Girls, welcome to the club.  It’s not an easy journey … but … you … are … never … alone.

“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said.” Luke 1:45