Reality

The lasts have begun already. What do I mean by lasts? Here’s what I mean. When I’m at college counting down the days until I go home I say to myself… “This is my last Monday”… “This is my last Tuesday”…and so on. So, I have been counting the lasts. Now there are only four days until I leave.

I did receive my visa! I received my passport with its first stamp over a week ago. Somehow, I expected that would be the moment when the reality that I’ll soon be in Thailand would sink in. But the reality still hasn’t.

Reality or no reality…I am leaving in four days and I’m busy preparing. I am about half way packed and have almost everything bought. A dear friend gave me a book about prayer to read during my travels and a dear cousin gave me the sequels to “A Wrinkle in Time” to read. Don’t tell my cousin…but I already started the first book.

It’s actually a part of this book I read today that I wanted to share with you. Madeleine L’Engle’s books all seem to have some allegorical meaning and “A Wind in the Door” was no exception. A main question in the theme of the rather bizarre sci-fi/fantasy book is “What is reality?” Angels and demons both have roles and I easily accepted this as first…after all it is a fantasy book! Then this quote hit me when a cherubim was speaking, “I’m real, and most earthlings can bear very little reality.”

You know what? Spiritual beings and spiritual warfare is real. Many things I cannot see are real. They are as real or more real than what I see, taste, touch, smell and feel. But you know what else?

God is real. He is my God, eternal, all-knowing, loving, forgiving, strong, just and good. (And that’s just a start!) He has won the war already, I can trust Him, and He is my purpose. It is because of God that I am alive today and going to Thailand. I must put on the armor He has provided me with (Ephesians 6). Jesus has brought me from death to life and my life is His to use however He desires.  I only want to want to be more like Him, a better reflection of Christ, a more willing servant to my Master.

Please pray with me that…

1.      God will protect me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as I fly out at 6:50 am Friday morning and spend the next 6 weeks in Thailand. Pray for the guidance and orchestration of the Holy Spirit as I travel alone as far as seatmates, people to help me, and people God wants to use me to help.

2.      God will assure my family that He will never leave me or them and that they will be closer to God and each other as they cheer me on but stay behind.

3.      God will bless the families I will be living with, give them insights into who I am and how to best use my strengths and improve upon my weaknesses, and that we will get along well.