Psalm 33:1
"Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright."
I've been very discouraged this week.
My dreams and plans and timing have not been working out the way that I want them to. I have been discontent and restless. I want to rejoice in all circumstances and yet my mindset has been more focused on my expectations than on trusting God's sovereign plan.
I wrote in my journal this morning:
Genesis 39:21
"But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love
and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison."
'Joseph was faithful as he waited for God to move in his life. He didn't know if he would ever get out of prison but he determined to be the very best that he could be, RIGHT WHERE GOD HAD HIM, for God's glory...'
Psalm 16:1-2
"Preserve me O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, 'You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.'"
Psalm 16:5-6
"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance."
Psalm 17:15
"As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness."
Psalm 18:1-2
"I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
God needs to be my joy and satisfaction, even if I don't like the way things are going, that is when true joy and contentment are revealed.
"Wherever you are, be all there!
Live to the hilt every situation that you believe to be the will of God."
-Jim Elliot
About two weeks ago my mom noticed that whenever I left for work there was always a large puddle of an unknown liquid substance under my vehicle. After much procrastination, I took my van to Walmart and asked them to make sure they had tightened everything properly after doing my most recent oil change. They showed me under the van where both my oil and my power steering fluid were leaking in decent proportions.
I was frustrated, I had been hoping to sell my vehicle and then add the money to the amount that I need to go to Bolivia, now I might have to put in more money to make it fit to sell! My dad called his mechanic and had me drop my van off over the weekend so that they could check it out and give me an estimate on Monday.
Monday I received a phone call from my dad,
"well, there are actually three things wrong with your vehicle," he said. The total cost to repair it was way beyond what I could afford to put into it. I could keep driving it the way that it was and eventually my radiator would overheat and kill my engine and I'd have to junk the vehicle or I could try and sell it to someone who wanted a car to fix up. Both options seemed rather bleak.
I was thoroughly discouraged now.
This morning my dad took the loaner vehicle back to the shop since he was going that way for work. Dad called me shortly thereafter, "The mechanic is willing to fix what is needed to make it safe to drive, let you drive it until you leave for Bolivia, then you can give it him right before you leave, he will sell it and keep the amount that the repair would have cost you but any that is extra he will give to you. All he needs to know is if that is okay with you. What do you think?"
I was thrilled! God totally provided above and beyond what I had been hoping for with my current vehicle situation.
I finally have almost all of my vaccinations for my trip done! The one that is mandatory for entrance into the country is yellow fever. However, unbeknownst to me, the United States of America is going through a severe shortage of the yellow fever vaccine. The only U.S. based place that made the vaccine closed down while they build another facility. The only other option is the non-FDA approved alternative which is produced in France, and that is only available in 250 clinics around the entire United States. However, in the 6+ different places that I called (and waited on hold, and tried to get ahold of actual representatives instead of robots...) No one seemed to think to inform me of that important fact! Finally, I found a travel health clinic that had the foresight to stock up on the yellow fever vaccine. I was informed today, as the nurse prepared the vaccine, that all of the rest of the yellow fever vaccines were spoken for so it was good that I had made my appointment when I did! (I never thought that I would be thankful for a vaccine being in stock!)
Another thing that involved multiple phone calls has been my background check for my visa, my local police department directed me to the county department, the county department gave my number to a deputy who called me. He was very nice but he had no idea why the department had him call me. "The only way I can do a background check for you is if I pull you over, and even then I cannot release it to you." He informed me, "maybe try the courthouse?" He suggested.
I called the courthouse and was directed to the police department instead of the department that the deputy had suggested. The police department suggested that I could go to the FBI office and buy some sort of card from them, then go to the police department and get fingerprints. Or I could try the records office.
After my yellow fever vaccination, my dad took me to the courthouse, the security guard directed us to the circuit court office. There I was provided with (what I hope is) the document that I need. “That'll be $6,” the woman said, I handed her my debit card.
"Oh... Is that all you have on you?" She asked.
I responded in the affirmative, do they only take cash? I wondered apprehensively.
"There is a $1.50 fee for debit cards." She said apologetically.
"It's okay," I said. The woman hesitated, consulted her co-worker, and then handed me the manila envelope, ignoring the debit card that I was still holding out to her. "Don't worry about it. Merry Christmas!"
God is not only God of the big things but also of the little things, I can trust His timing and I can trust His plan.
I am learning and growing and will continue to learn and grow. I am so glad that God will complete that which He has begun.
Truly, our God is gracious and merciful and abounding in steadfast love!
Psalm 103:1
"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name."
James 1:2-4
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Psalm 34:5
"Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame."
Philippians 4:4
"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, 'Rejoice!'"