Today was the first of many farewells as we get closer to the end of our time here. This morning was the last meeting of our Muscat Women’s Fellowship group. This diverse group of women from all over the world meets twice a month for fellowship and service projects. As part of my “goodbye, ” I was given a beautiful pashmina with this scripture:
Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.
I was also asked to share something that I have learned this past year. Here’s what I said:
I wasn’t supposed to be
here.
here.
Obviously GOD intended for
me to come to Oman, but if he had sat me down over a cup of coffee
and told me his plans, I would have said, “No way. No how. God you
are making a big mistake. I don’t want to move again. Besides, Oman?
I barely know where that is?!”
me to come to Oman, but if he had sat me down over a cup of coffee
and told me his plans, I would have said, “No way. No how. God you
are making a big mistake. I don’t want to move again. Besides, Oman?
I barely know where that is?!”
I wasn’t happy about it,
but when the time came for us to move here I went willingly because
God has proved to me over and over again that his plans are better
than my plans and his ways are better than my ways.
but when the time came for us to move here I went willingly because
God has proved to me over and over again that his plans are better
than my plans and his ways are better than my ways.
So I was able to say
through my tears, “OK, God. You must have a reason for us coming to
Oman. Even though I can’t understand it, I know you must have
something better in mind for me.”
through my tears, “OK, God. You must have a reason for us coming to
Oman. Even though I can’t understand it, I know you must have
something better in mind for me.”
One of my favorite
passages of scripture comes from Jeremiah 17, vs 7&8
passages of scripture comes from Jeremiah 17, vs 7&8
It is especially
appropriate for those of us living in the desert.
appropriate for those of us living in the desert.
“Blessed
is the WOMAN who trusts in the Lord, whose
confidence is in him. SHE
will be like a tree planted by the water that
sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat
comes; its
leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and
never fails to bear fruit.”
is the WOMAN who trusts in the Lord, whose
confidence is in him. SHE
will be like a tree planted by the water that
sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat
comes; its
leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and
never fails to bear fruit.”
I have loved my year in
Oman. I feel like that tree that has been planted by the water. I
have flourished here. The friends I have made, the wisdom I’ve gained
from my time here, as a member of MWF, from the women’s conference,
and from BSF are irreplaceable.
Oman. I feel like that tree that has been planted by the water. I
have flourished here. The friends I have made, the wisdom I’ve gained
from my time here, as a member of MWF, from the women’s conference,
and from BSF are irreplaceable.
And now I don’t want to
leave.
leave.
Because my faith is
imperfect, if I could I would sit down with God and say, “How about
extending this Oman thing? I don’t really need to leave so soon, do
I? My kids are in a great school here, we’re finally getting settled,
I have friends I don’t want to leave – can’t you work some sort of
miracle to keep us here? There’s no way that your plan of moving us
to Bahrain could be better than this.”
imperfect, if I could I would sit down with God and say, “How about
extending this Oman thing? I don’t really need to leave so soon, do
I? My kids are in a great school here, we’re finally getting settled,
I have friends I don’t want to leave – can’t you work some sort of
miracle to keep us here? There’s no way that your plan of moving us
to Bahrain could be better than this.”
But it could be. And
because I know that my small human mind can’t possibly comprehend how
God works, I will go willingly. Trusting that his ways are better
than my ways and his plans are greater than mine. Because after all, if
it had been up to me, I wouldn’t even be here.
because I know that my small human mind can’t possibly comprehend how
God works, I will go willingly. Trusting that his ways are better
than my ways and his plans are greater than mine. Because after all, if
it had been up to me, I wouldn’t even be here.
One goodbye down, many more to go . . .