Confirmations

Time slips away endlessly, silently and we don't know where it goes.  So often we focus on the time that is gone but we have today, right now.  This is our time.  This moment we can claim and make good and rejoice in the Father's goodness.  So, though time has slipped away and now it is the 20th of July, I lay here in the early hours and claim the now to send out to you my God-sightings. 
     It's hard to know where to start, but I've heard the beginning is a good place.  Therefore, since I last wrote about our last day driving...God-sighting #1 A dear friend in WA had spoken over me weeks before we left that God would bring me a good friend and I would meet her the day we arrived.  We rolled in around 6:30pm on Friday night and within and hour or so of arriving, Janie Gausmann was at our house with dinner and a care package of toiletries, videos for the kids, an air mattress, baby wipes and other sundry items that we needed.  The next day she arrived with her family to help clean the house, and we began discovering how similar we were and how many of the same interests we shared.  That day she said: "I don't want to impose on you or make you feel like I'm trying to be your new best friend."  Little did she or I know (for I had forgotten at the time what had been spoken) that the Lord on High had orchestrated and designed this to be the case before we even knew of each other.  I remembered several days later  that she had been spoken into my life weeks before, and I am grateful for a God who knows, who sees, who interacts and moves on behalf of His people.
    I realized also, however, that there is something in me that really likes control.  Ok, ok...this really is not a news blast to me but I didn't realize how much this played a roll in my relationship with God and that, though I am grateful for His Sovereignty, I like it when He pretends to let me have some say in the matter.  This point was brought home to me on the first Sunday.  Jon, having been to Culpeper in June and scoped out a house, also had scoped out a church and connected deeply with the pastor. He was ready to jump in with both feet and imbed himself in this community.  I, on the other hand, was weary adn wanting to sit back and disappear into oblivion for a while.  I wanted to be slow in making any commitments or getting involved in a church or the community and give myself time to recoup from some hard years of over-commitment.  I wanted to content myself with no one knowing my name or my talents...as I think about it now, perhaps I was feeling a bit like the steward who was given one talent and in fear he hid it in the ground.  Well, God had other plans for me.  Not two days into our arrival, I find myself sitting in church and pastor Erick Kalenga announcing how marvelous God is in bringing just the right people together and introducing us to the church.  Inside part of me wanted to say: "Wait!  I didn't agree to this.  I've not decided yet!  Where's my say?"  But I realized that God had already grafted us in and tied the knot to bind us. (Of course, Janie is a part of this body too.)  I could visit a dozen churches and hide away for a while and appreciate various styles and "decide" where I wanted to end up, but in the end, what would that accomplish?  There is no perfect church, why make myself discontent by trying all the others and then finally ending up back where He wanted to place me in the first?  I am blessed that He cut to the chase and planted us firmly before I knew my feet were on solid ground. 
     I took away a lot from that first sermon and as he spoke on the Fall and how Adam and Eve clothed themselves in leaves that were alive, but would die having been taking from the branch, I see two thiings.  First, something in me would fail to thrive, live if I sought to ungraft myself.  Second, our human solution is to take something that is living and make something of it that will dier and decay.  What we do does not last, thought we try to keep it alive as long as we can.  But God takes what is alive, kills it with intention, to clothe us in that which lasts.  We start with the alive and produce death.  He initiates death that life might be given again and anew. 
  He also mentioned that the "sound of God walking in the garden" was the same "sound" that was mentioned on the day of Pentacost.  Now that I have my research books, I plan on tracking this "sound" through Scripture and I'll tell you about it. 
     I find it of interest that this church, His Village, is also the place for the Culpeper Prayer Room or (CPR).  The goal is to have 24-7 prayer there and unite the  churches in prayer.  It is a small band of believers and just as we were invited to play on the worship team at the Salvation Army the first time we attended the church, so it was here and the following week at both places found us playing on the worship team.  (So much for my slow entry into society!)  The people have lavished love and care on us just as those in Washougal did.  They have seen our needs and have entered into meeting those needs.  Eve and Emma have found new friends at the church too, including Janie's daughter, Angela who is there new BF. 
     Other confirmations: we sold much of our furniture in moving out here and have been able to get living room furniture - a nice couch and loveseat as well as a queen mattress $50, desk and air conditioner- free, bedroom set and dressers, vacuums and many other items - $400.  I could go on, but essentially, we've been able to quickly refurnish our home and even more for very low cost.  I am grateful for Providence and Craigslist. 
     I have been tempted at times to dwell on what was and focus on my longing for friends and familiarity in WA.  Though, its not wrong to miss them, I've been encouraged by God not to be like Lot's wife looking back and losing the blessing of where He's taking me. 
  Well, this is getting too long already but I'll keep you posted on other God-sightings as we go.  Blessings.