joy in God's faithfulness, and my girls' faithfulness too

I searched my heart and mind again yesterday about what was most important to share this week. I could have taken some of the lines from the song I had the privilege to sing in church last Sunday...solo. Or played with words and made up some clever stuff about great spiritual truths that speak to me every day. Yes, I have lots of blog material for years to come, it would seem. But what seemed most personal and universal to share this week was becoming an empty nester and saying goodbye to my daughter as she headed off to university. Because it really wasn't about that, but about God and how He has taken care of my girls, and how they have allowed that to happen by their trust and their own care. So I celebrated that, and added in the song that came...not a seemingly very profound song, but a suitable one. A simple one, full of simple truth, which is really what life is all about. Simple truths. So here is my weekly blog post for www.whateverhesays.blogspot.com...the comments when you read the post on that blog are always rewarding and interesting.


Faithful God, Faithful Girls

She won't be home tonight. At least not to this home. She flew out west very early yesterday morning. I said goodbye to my baby again, companion for this summer while my other baby settled into Bible school in New Zealand. Now they are both gone, from here, but not from my heart, nor me from theirs. Until now I have been so happy for them, so thrilled at how their plans have worked out, that I haven't had much time to miss them, or think about missing them. Now here we are - empty nesters.

Interesting that in just three weeks we will see one of them again! How's that for a pining Mum!!We actually arranged the trip for very practical reasons. Share Thanksgiving with her so we can send her to have a Kiwi Christmas with the other one, then welcome the other back for a few months a little while later. Now I am so delighted that it will not be long before I see my daughter again, my dear friend. And I am delighted that she feels the same way.

But what is my song today? I can only sing that refrain "What a Faithful God have I". I think back on these years of child rearing...through all the adventures...moving with them to Uganda in their very early years, moving suddenly back to a new part of Canada in their early adolescent years, moving them from being missionary kids to being small town kids. They coped so well, all the way along, with so many transitions, so many times of being different or misunderstood. And through it all they kept their faith alive, a real, gutsy faith. Then they tested it out in Bible school, and in revisiting Uganda. They got on the family airplane track again, and stepped out into the big wide world, the post 911 world, alone, trusting, scared and faithful.

And as they have grown up, I have too, but I have also become more childlike in my trust. When I wondered how she would get from the ferry to the university residence with her big suitcase, backpack, carry on and satchel, God provided. First He gave her a contact with a wonderful out of the box type of church, then they asked her if she needed help settling in. All I had done was pray for something to work out for her.

I could go on and on with the details of God's faithfulness in provision and protection, and their faithfulness in seeking Him and trusting Him. What more can I say? What is more important than to thank Him every moment for His faithfulness, and trust Him more and more.

These seem the most important words for this week. I have many more words in my own heart of His provision for me too, many too private to share. But God knows how I feel, and how grateful I am. That is enough. So it seems the words have run out, and there is only song. Let's share it together.