The valleys...

Yesterday was a rough day.  In no particular order, neither in terms of chronology nor magnitude:

A lot of things came together at work to make it a long, hectic day.  I won't go into detail, because frankly, even I'm bored by the details of it.  But it involved a lot of tedious work and uncomfortable confrontation (which is necessary, but still not fun).

When I got home, I got a phone call from a person whom I love dearly and will always love dearly... they were trying to encourage me not to go into youth ministry.  I am not going into detail, but it was a very discouraging call that was not in line with another conversation we had recently.  I trust they were trying to look out for what was best for me, but the way they did it wasn't encouraging at all.  I believe they think I am jumping into this on a whim and seeking to just go have fun and not work.  I have tried to convince them this decision was a long time in the making and not an easy one and not one I believe I could have made any other way. 

And I went to the going away party for dear friends, the Hunts, who are leaving to go to Prague as missionaries. The Hunts are incredible. Not because of anything about them, not because of their oldest son Sam and his cool hair, not because of their youngest son Foard and his awesome name but because God poured out blessings through them and onto those around them. God has used them to make me a better person.

And I learned that a girl I knew at church (I didn't know her extremely well, but everybody that I knew that did loved her and she seemed a wonderful personand what I did know of her confirmed that) had been involved in a car wreck and died last night.  It is a time of mourning to lose a sister in Christ and a time of rejoicing that she is in Heaven now and experiencing complete joy and peace with the Father.  All I have heard about the wreck is another vehicle crossed the center line and hit her car head on.  I do not know what caused the vehicle to cross the center line, but I lift the driver up in prayer now with Aimee's family and friends.  I was in a car wreck in 2001 where I had a seizure and left the interstate.  I spent 2 weeks in the hospital and the greatest comfort to my soul in that whole time and even now is that nobody else was involved.  I pray that God would comfort this driver and, if they do not know Him, that He would use this to draw them to himself.  And then what an incredible display of His providence if He uses the death of this daughter of a missionary family to draw another soul to Him.

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places." - Hab. 3:17-19