Such a great crowd of witnesses

Hebrews 11:8-10, 16
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God...Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them."

I found these verses so reassuring today. We are praying that God will lead us to "a city where we can settle." My heavenly Father will provide an eternal city for me, so how much easier should it be for me to have faith that he will provide a city on earth!

My yo-yo is God's straight line

I have a countdown for graduation on my google homepage. For a long time, I've seen it as a beacon of hope for my escape into the real world. Once that timer went off, I was going to live somewhere else, have a job, and have a plan.

Now, my countdown has begun to taunt me. One month and seventeen days until I am no longer a student, no longer qualify for student health insurance, no longer can live in university housing, no longer can pay for food with student loans. One month and seventeen days until I need to know what I am going to do for money, where I am going to live, how I am going to take care of myself when I'm sick.

We've had these decisions in mind for years and have been trusting that God would come through. First, we were really attached to the idea of moving back to Des Moines. Beautiful Des Moines with its free parking downtown on Saturdays, its plethora of movie theatres and restaurants, its non-college-towny feel, its crowds of family. Then, we realized that obedience might take us to other places. For a while, we wanted to go to Korea. We were always "open" to the idea that God might keep us in Iowa City.

Two Sundays ago, Dexter and I prayed, read scripture, and made lists, concluding that maybe it really was God's will for us to go to Des Moines. I excitedly sent out letters of interest to school districts around Des Moines.

But as soon as we started telling our house church what we thought God's will could be, I did not want to leave. I wanted to stay in Iowa City with my church that I knew and with people that I knew would encourage me. At some point during the week, Dexter talked me down from my violent rejection of the idea of moving to Des Moines.

Yesterday, Dexter and I prayed, read scripture, and made more lists. We concluded that maybe it was God's will for us to stay in Iowa City. Dexter would have a job at Capanna, I could substitute teach, and we could keep our close relationships with our spiritual brothers and sisters. We spent the afternoon looking up apartments that would be available this winter. Maybe by August there would be Capanna business to be done in Des Moines and an ESL job there for me.

Today I got a call from the Des Moines Public Schools asking me to interview for a substitute teaching position. I have an interview next Monday. I've heard that "getting your foot in the door" can be a surefire way of landing a job when one becomes available.

I keep reminding myself of Psalm 107:7, which says, "He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle." I believe that our considering these different options is a step along the path God has laid for us. Even though I feel like I am being jerked back and forth by different ideas, I know that God knows every step in the process and sees each step as step forward in his "straight way." I'm praying that God's straight way includes us knowing where we should live by the time we graduate, and I'm praying even more that I would trust him even if it didn't.

Proverbs 15:22 says, "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." So, if you have any wisdom to share, my ears are open.

It's a real good thing

I read Psalm 103 this morning, and it reminded me of the old Newsboys song that says, "When we don't get what we deserve, it's a real good thing, a real good thing. When we get what we don't deserve, it's a real good thing, real good thing."

I always think of salvation as the thing that we get that we don't deserve. And in my very human mind, I think that if I gave my life to save humanity, I'd want to stop there--do the saving, get the glory, and what more could humanity expect from me? Psalm 103 reminded me that God's love does not stop at the cross (although what a magnificent place to stop), but that he continues to show us his love in the small, everyday things in our lives, as well as in the huge life events during which we're very aware of our need for him.

So, here are some Psalm 103 gems about His love:

4-[Praise the Lord...] who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5-who satisfies your desires with good things.
8-The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
10-He does not treat us as our sins deserve.
11-For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.
17-But from everlasting to everlasting, the Lord's love is with hose who fear him.

Verses 5 and 15-16 also admonished and encouraged me for a different reason.
5-[Praise the Lord...] who satisfies your desires with good things...
15-As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16-Ths wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

It seemed to me such a relief that I don't have to waste my time on this earth satisfying my desires. Obviously, I'll be tempted to do this, but what a good reminder that God has our best interest in mind even more than we do. And how humbling that our place on earth will remember us no more when we are gone and that what we do on earth is only significant if it has eternal implications.

Praise God for teaching us what we need to learn and for lovingly reminding us of things that we should already know.