For Derrick.

"Time and distance quench a small love, but make a great love grow stronger."

Today I read this quote after reading a story about a couple.  Their story goes a little something like this...

Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand had the most romantic real-life love story I've ever heard of.  But ironically their marriage was nothing like the "white picket fence" scenario that most us dream about.  Their life together was marked by intense persecution, torture, imprisonment, poverty, and over ten years of separation from each other.  When Richard sat in the pastor's convention listening to the name of Christ being blasphemed, Sabina had a choice to make.  She could either cling to her desire to keep her husband by her side and her family protected, or she could make Jesus Christ her highest priority.  She chose to honor the name of Christ, even though it meant giving up everything in life that she held dear.

Richard was thrown in prison, and she spent ten years not knowing whether he was dead or alive.  Was the beauty of their love story dimmed by such dismal circumstances?  Just the opposite.  After years of praying and agonizing for her husband, Sabina received a note scrawled in Richard's unmistakable handwriting.  He was only allowed to write a few words, which would be censored by prison guards.  His words were : "Time and distance quench a small love, but make a great love grow stronger"

(From Set-Apart Femininity By: Leslie Ludy)

God placed me in Louisville for the summer.  He placed Derrick in Bowling Green.  He is using us in the same way and that is to serve him better.  I would much rather be closer to Derrick, but that was not the Lord's plan this summer.  The time apart has been difficult at times, but small frustrations are always a result of selfishness. I am sinful.  Derrick is sinful.  That is why we must cling to the cross daily.  After reading this today I realized that Christ should be my main focus all of the time, whether in a relationship or not in a relationship, Christ should be my life.  

As I grow in my love for Derrick day after day, it isn't because of his good looks, great sense of humor, or ability to fart 50 times in one day (these are all added Bonuses... haha) BUT it is his love for the Lord.  I know that Christ is way more important to Derrick than me and I praise God for that.  I praise God to be dating an amazing Godly man who is all about serving the Lord.  In this season while we are apart...I seek to grow more with the Lord as well.

"We Love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19       

This past week in my high school girls bible study we talked about building walls against Satan's attack.  Before preparing for study I had never taken a look at the book of Nehemiah...Ever! Nehemiah is in preparation to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the exile. In his despair he sits down and prays to the Lord.  His prayer is so beautiful...

"And I said, "O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,  let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.  Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples,  but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.'  They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man."
    Now I was cupbearer to the king." 
Nehemiah 1:5-11

I read this prayer and think of how watered down my prayers are.  Last summer when I was in Africa, the Ghanaian's valued praying to the Lord.  They confessed everything before him and held nothing back.  They trusted and loved him completely.  I long to have prayers like this.   Through this scripture I am completely and utterly amazed at how the Lord continues to teach me things about myself.  

Inspired.

Give Me More.

Through the hustle and bustle of summer I have neglected my blog.  My summer has consisted of being a part time Mom and getting paid to do it.  Some days my job can be challenging through the two year old who wants more loving, more food, more to drink, more more more and I get so tired sometimes.  When I look at this sweet child I think about what God has been teaching me.  He has been teaching me to want more and has opened up my eyes and heart to it.


I think about the book I have been reading, Radical by David Platt, and I think about a story he told.  He told of Secret Churches that he would attend while he was in China (I think? Don't quote me).  At these churches people would come from all over and meet in these tiny hidden rooms just to learn more about the Bible and God.  They wanted more and more of him.  They didn't care how long it would take, if it was hours or days, they wanted to know more.  


I also think about the high school girls that I lead a bible study for and just to see the Lord at work in them.  We always run bible study to the very end of time.  I see their hearts burning for the Lord and they just want more.


And then I think about myself these past couple of weeks and how I have been putting my relationship with the Lord on the back burner.  I was stuck in a funk where I wasn't in a bible study so I didn't know where to read and then Saturday night I was checking out my churches blog and looky there...a Six Month Reading Plan of the New Testament.  Just what I was longing for.  More of the Lord.  (If you are looking to deeper your walk with the Lord by getting more into the Word you should really check this out Six Month Reading plan)


"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10 

Something Beautiful

Well Friday was the day that Derrick was coming home.  I spent all day just thinking about how excited I was to see him. I left Louisville in the afternoon to Bowling Green to just hang out til I headed to Nashville for dinner with a friend.  All day I had a weird feeling because I had checked the flight status in Nashville and never saw an 11p.m. flight arriving in Nashville from Miami, but thought it was an oversight.  Around 8:30 I received a text saying that they would not be arriving home til tomorrow at 9:45 and Derrick would call me.  I was like "Oh ok, in the morning, I will just go sleep and go pick him up in the morning."  Nope, it was the next night!  I was bummed.  I continued to have contact with a friend in Haiti who was giving me flight updates and I was just sick to my stomach.  I was worried.  I was not trusting the Lord.  Frustrated I drove all the way home to Louisville that night.  

Saturday morning I was still in confusion as to when he would actually arrive home.  I just kept worrying and tried praying.  I'm Selfish. It wasn't til 4 that evening I received a text from Derrick saying they had arrived in Miami! PRAISE GOD.  I decided that I would be driving back to Nashville to do it all over again, but I told him I would meet him in Bowling Green.  He didn't know I would surprise him.  I crept in a corner at the Nashville airport while I waited for him to walk through that gate.  That was the longest 4 minutes of my life. My heart was pounding and I was literally shaking.  And FINALLY there he was, I slipped out of the corner and into his arms.  After all the waiting, he was home and the Lord was beginning to teach me even more.  

In baggage claim he handed me the journal I had sent with him.  In there I saw his heart.  I saw words that overflowed onto more words that just presented the Lord at work in his life which breathed light into mine. In the journal he spoke of the things he did and encountered while there.  He had some verses that stood out to him while on the trip.  One that really stood out to me was Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  Derrick actually got to preach on this verse in Haiti and I don't think we can ever hear that enough...to TRUST with ALL of our hearts and he will make our PATHS STRAIGHT.  

Through all the driving back and forth I played one CD that was my recent Christian mix.  I was just looking at the song titles and they are as follows ( in this exact order): 

Can Anybody Hear Me

Only You

Something Beautiful

The Lost Get Found

Hope Now

Forgiven

God Gave Me You

Our God 

While I'm Waiting

While I was waiting the Lord was the only one that I could rely on.  It was something beautiful to hear about how the Gospel was proclaimed in Haiti.  They have a joy and love for the Lord always.  I wish I could say the same.  I have hope now that I am forgiven of my sins and daily I will sin against the Lord, but he forgives.  God gave me Derrick to make my relationship with the Lord stronger not for to be my fulfillment, but so that we may walk on this Earth with a purpose.  Our God is amazing and wonderful.  

This was Derrick's bud Ka-Ka.  

God Provides.

The morning Derrick left for Haiti he said, "You won't even notice I'm gone. The time will fly bye." 

I didn't believe him, but here we are 2 days til he comes home.  The time has literally flown bye.  I thought that I would be sitting at home twiddling my thumbs wondering what the heck I was going to do with my life this summer, but the Lord knew.  

Let's just say that I am a professional babysitter.  I have baby-sat / nanny every single day since he has been gone.  Most of the time I don't even know that I am needed til the day of and its so neat.  Its neat because the Lord is bringing people into my life that I have never met before.  He has provided opportunities that open up more opportunities that open up more opportunities. 

It's very cool because it is teaching me to save my money.  I am not always guaranteed money and so it has really challenged me to be a "good steward of my funds".  I have always struggled with that and clearly the Lord had his plan as to how I would one day be forced to learn.  

Another neat thing that has been a really rewarding experience is getting to invest in the high school girls this summer.  They have a desire to know God deeper and to build their relationship with them.  Tonight we talked about the Gospel and what it means to share it with others around us.  Challenging them as well as myself has been wonderful to see the Lord use them to work in me.  The girls are learning what it means to be a Godly woman and how to be beautiful because of Christ in them.  

"Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

Here are a couple new pictures of Derrick.  I praise God for these pictures.  They have definitely gotten me through not seeing him or talking to him. He is loving the children.  

Encouraged.

 

I love summer because it means spending more time in the word, reading encouraging books, and sitting at Panera on a Saturday morning for 2-3 hours to chat with friends.

This morning I enjoyed breakfast with some friends at Panera which is always very encouraging.  We shared just how the Lord is working in our lives.  We also shared some fun stories and talked about girly things.  It is just very delightful to see the Lord at work. 

"For where two or more come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20

For now it was the afternoon and I spent it digging into this book "Radical" by David Platt.  It is a great book that talks about taking back your faith from the American Dream.  It encouraged me even more to share my faith with anyone and everyone I come into contact with.  This quote is from the book. 

  

"The gospel does not prompt you to mere reflection; the gospel requires a response."

I am encouraged for my continued growth with the Lord this summer and the opportunities that he keeps providing. 

Derrick is still in Haiti.  Praying for him.  There was another picture on the website.  I am not sure what this means, but I can't wait to learn when he comes home!  6 days :)