Day 33

Well... honestly, today has been a very trying and emotional day for me. I'm battling my flesh and emotions and feel like I'm losing. Praise the Lord it is not my battle, but the Lord's. My hope rests in Him. The Lord has given me a steady husband that holds me steady when I feel as though I'm falling. The Lord has sent such encouragement through friends today and it reminds me that I am not alone. It reminds me how long the arm of the Lord truly is. How beautiful is the body of Christ! How he comforts me and loves me through not only my husband, but other brothers and sisters in Christ.
Though I appreciate your prayers, my prayer requests today are not for me but for some loved ones that are in battles much tougher than mine. Our friends Jen & Jake have been in the adoption process for what seems like forever. They have their hopes lifted only to watch them crumble. Jake is now in Ethiopia spending time with their 3 adopted children (they also have 2 in the states) and trying to make progress in the adoption process. Please pray for them that the Lord will give them peace. It is going to be so hard for him to get on a plane to come back to the states without those little ones in his arms. It will take faith. Pray that the Lord will grant Jake the faith to rest in His Sovereignty. Pray also for Jen that the Lord will be the Lifter of her head. That He will make her a prayer warrior through this journey.
My next prayer requests are for some very dear friends that are missionaries in Africa. The Reeces consist of 2 families: 4 adults and 5 children. They are struggling through the process of building a place to live and the process is slow. Please pray for the day in and day out mundane tasks of life; the things that you probably don't think about... the things we have all taken for granted. Things like running water, electricity, a bed to sleep on, privacy, going to a restaurant are all things that you do on a daily basis that they have forfeited. Pray for their relationships. Pray that the Lord would give them grace in all aspects of their lives. Pray that He would fill them with the joy of their salvation. Pray that the Lord would allow them to sense His nearness.
It is hard to labor and toil and see little to no fruit. It is hard when your flesh is staring you right in the face and you hate it so bad. It is hard when you want to be like Jesus but all you see in yourself is so far from His character. It is hard when you realize that you truly are an alien in this world and that no matter where you go, this is not your home. But there is fountain.... there is grace.