Habbakuk

These days, I feel like a rug has been taken out from underneath me. It would be a normal sequence of summer days, of getting work done, of painting, of hanging out. However, the Lord never leaves our days like we would expect. Does He always keep us on our toes? For sure; and for our good.

I hadn't read these verses in a long time, perhaps since my later years in college. Habbakuk 3:17,18 reads, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

As my dad and my grandmother sit day after day in the hospital, slowly mending from their injuries, I still have reason to hope beyond feeling depleted of emotional strength, or feeling strangely like a lot is out of place. As my study of the Patriarchs taught me this past spring, God works in instances, and through generations. There is more to His deliverance than what we see.

So as I get work done, paint, hang out, and check in day to day with my dad and grandmother, I must keep the bigger picture in mind, and rejoice that God is more creative than what is known.

My classes this summer are very interesting: Intro to Microfinance; and Disaster and Mitigation. We had 3 seven-hour classes two weeks ago, and will begin classes for "disaster" tomorrow. The readings are so interesting. These classes are unlike any I've ever taken before. The main body of work that I have to do for Microfinance is a paper - which I'm planning to write on South Africa - discussing the effects of apartheid on microfinance - exciting! I don't know which disaster I'll focus on for the other class...

By the way, the Lord brought these Habbakuk verses to mind through some "Disaster and Mitigation" reading I just completed.

FOCUS tonight

Tonight I spoke at FOCUS. I don't think i've ever had that opportunity before. As soon as I came home from South Africa, Jay Mcgee (who works part-time with Focus) asked me about speaking. YES - of course!

(FOCUS stands for Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools - and they minister to high school students - leading many of them to a relationship with Christ. I was heavily involved in this when I was at Episcopal - a great encouragement to me)

I basically talked tonight on how I arrived at COJ - from high school, through college, and onto South Africa, and now here. It was so good - i loved it, and remembered how much I loved connecting with the younger age - it's so huge to me. In the midst of mountainous schoolwork, I had forgotten the thrill of spiritually leading and connecting with younger girls - it was highly engaging and refreshing.

I gotta go to bed, it's been a crazy week... but I pray I never forget what it feels like to engage with spiritually hungry people who are younger than me.