I'll take the hard road!

Here's a bit about what God is teaching me at the moment...

We really enjoyed our time in Ukraine, and it wasn't until right near the end that I really started to fit in and make some really great friends.  It is amazing there 'first love' for God, and people 10 years younger are teaching me so much.  It is been interesting the journey God is taking me on and cleansing me of my bitterness and frustrations from the last few years. 

As you can imagine leaving the Ukraine was very painful and continues to be, but we are praying about going back next July for maybe a longer term of 1-5 years. 

On our way back to London we spent time firsthand remembering the Holocaust with Auschwitz and also visiting Schindler's Factory & Corrie Ten Boom's house.  I found out how much freedom & other things I take for granted. We also watched the movie "The Hiding Place" and I was very moved by their ability to rejoice always!  They believed enough to live it not just say it. Amazing ladies!  A poem that Corrie quoted really struck me, it was "Everything looks like a confused piece of embroidery work, meaningless and ugly. But that is the underside. Some day we shall see the right side and shall be amazed and thankful." She also said that we should be trusting God anyway, and that often the hardest part of our lives turns out to be the jewel on the front of the picture.  Been thinking a lot about how we try to take the easy road as much as possible, and now I have stumbled across a book by Tommy Tenney called "Trust & Tragedy" and it is amazing how this lines up with what God is teaching me at the moment.  This year in London is going to be hard for us but I'm also excited by what God can teach me. I can see that we often avoid the hard road for the easy one, but in doing so we miss the jewels that are found on the road less traveled.

Another thing God has restored to me since being in Ukraine is a love & care for people.  I was reminded today of one of my Bible College vision statements which was was to be a loving mother or something like that.  I feel as though God has given me a massive loving heart to reach out my arms and gather as many people into them and just love them.  Although it is hard here, it is great to feel the winter in my heart thawing out and & some growth happening again.