I wake up grateful. Excited to be in Germany with our friends from Detmold-Nord Free Evangelical Church; anticipating a great week of baseball camp with a great team from Texas; blessed to live in fellowship with God and His global purposes.
Yet every time I get to do this, I miss my family more and more. Kristi, who had a call to the nations long before I did, so often stays behind and "holds down the fort" while I get to enjoy the richness of God's creation of culture. Our kids, too, don't usually get to join me, although we want to change that soon so our prayers for them to be gifts of love, faith, and hope to the nations can begin to find fulfillment.
So as I wake up to an early, bright sunrise in Detmold, I pray for God's Spirit to fill me, for His word to be my guide, and for my life to be offered in service to Him, His people, and His purposes today. Yet I am gratefully aware that my family stands behind me and with me, even if not physically next to me.
This morning I noticed smudges on my laptop, probably remnants of Andrew's clicking-while-licking, most likely checking baseball scores a few nights ago with a snack at his right hand (as usual!). But instead of wiping them off in frustration, I am leaving them here as a loving reminder - the smudges and fingeprints of my incredible family are all over me, and I want them to show. My wife and kids have filled my life with goodness and joy; I have all I want! Thank you, Kristi, Anna, Elisa, and Andrew, for making my joy complete. And I can't wait to share these moments with you on future trips I hope you can join me on.
In the meantime, may the smudges of the Chan family sharing life together be evidence of our love for each other; and may the fingerprints of God - His unique design and plan for our lives - be evidence of grace, mercy, and hope to all we encounter this week.
An invitation in the Desert
7 years ago
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1 comments:
It is a joy to find myself in the role of "holding down the fort" as your wife - even on the hard days - knowing the unique role God has called us to. Funny how most struggle to go and here we are finding it harder to stay. . . and yet God has a greater purpose in it all! May all of our smudges and fingerprints - on our kids lives and on lives around the world - be found to have His distinct dna residue that it all may be for His glory. I love you! And I gladly serve in this way - even with the longing to go and live among. His will for us, not ours . . . walking in that daily grace. (Kristi)
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