Last Day of the Year!

I sit here on the last day of Urbana and the last day of 2006 remembering and predicting. Every year I ask God to fulfill the same number of things I ask him to remove from life. This year it's three. Three things I would ask him to fulfill in my life, while helping me to rid my life of three things that do not glorify him. As I sit and ponder over the last year and God's faithfulness, I am amazed. My prayer for 2007 is Psalm 119:133 - Guide my steps as you promised; don't let sin control me. Just like the theme here at Urbana, which comes from Ephesians 4 - LIVE A LIFE WORTH OF THE CALLING!

Last night we were asked to give - give money. They asked that we would each give at least $60 to reach a goal of $1.25 million. At first my logical side kicked in. I am a missionary. I do not have enough money to give that much. I am thinking how much food I could buy with $60 (enough for a family to live off of for 2 weeks). But as I sat and spoke with God, he reminded me of the story of the woman who gave only the two coins she had. And I knew... I needed to give that amount. I knew that if I gave $60, I would not have enough money to pay the bills for the month, but I also knew that God ALWAYS provides for us, even more so when we are serving him with our resources and time. I wept as we sang How Great Thou Art, because for the first time in my life, I realized how it's what God truly wants. He wants us to know, in the very center of our being how much he loves us and takes care of us. It's much like doing something nice for someone you know will repay you for it. If there is anything I have learned this year, it is that God loves to repay us for our steps of faith. The thing is, we have to take them. Whatever, wherever, whenever God calls. The answer needs to be yes.
Happy New Year!