Unexpected Path
November 10, 2008
Allen did not make it to the Church Planter Team Leader Retreat because of an unexpected path we were called to take this weekend.
It is with sadness that we share the news that Sharon suffered a miscarriage of our 8 week old child Saturday, November 8th. God has been faithful to provide the type of comfort and peace that is only available through His supernatural provision. We have been led to these insights for encouragement as we consider our loss:
The faith God is calling us to is a faith in the unseen outcomes in eternity, which cannot always be grasped in the now. Jesus says, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” — John 20:29
The tension of not receiving what we had hoped in the now, and not seeing what we had hoped to see in the now increases our desire to see how God works this out for good in eternity.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
“The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs... That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.” (Romans 8:20-25 Excerpts from the Message translation)
Sharon and I have an expectation in a future that is good because we worship a good God. In a time of great loss, Job was able to say "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” We proclaim the same, and we do so with the advantage of having a fuller view of God's love and desires revealed to us through Jesus Christ. He proved the deepness of His love by sending His only Son to suffer and to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and rescue us from judgment and hell we deserved.
We have no trouble therefore trusting into His hands those things we can not fully comprehend. The grand expression of His love, and the supernatural provision of peace and comfort through this time give us even more confidence in Him. These pains we experience in this fallen world enlarge our expectancy of a joyous and fulfilled future in eternity with Jesus.— Allen and Sharon.
It is with sadness that we share the news that Sharon suffered a miscarriage of our 8 week old child Saturday, November 8th. God has been faithful to provide the type of comfort and peace that is only available through His supernatural provision. We have been led to these insights for encouragement as we consider our loss:
The faith God is calling us to is a faith in the unseen outcomes in eternity, which cannot always be grasped in the now. Jesus says, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” — John 20:29
The tension of not receiving what we had hoped in the now, and not seeing what we had hoped to see in the now increases our desire to see how God works this out for good in eternity.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
“The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs... That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.” (Romans 8:20-25 Excerpts from the Message translation)
Sharon and I have an expectation in a future that is good because we worship a good God. In a time of great loss, Job was able to say "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” We proclaim the same, and we do so with the advantage of having a fuller view of God's love and desires revealed to us through Jesus Christ. He proved the deepness of His love by sending His only Son to suffer and to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and rescue us from judgment and hell we deserved.
We have no trouble therefore trusting into His hands those things we can not fully comprehend. The grand expression of His love, and the supernatural provision of peace and comfort through this time give us even more confidence in Him. These pains we experience in this fallen world enlarge our expectancy of a joyous and fulfilled future in eternity with Jesus.— Allen and Sharon.
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