GRACE ALONE

Yesterday morning I woke up with a song that was playing over and over in my mind... I can't count the number of times this happens for me or the ways that the music blesses and ministers to my soul! I know it is a gift from the Lord, because every time it happens, the message of the song is just what I need at that particular moment, and that is definitely a work of God!

The song I was singing all day yesterday and today as well was "Grace Alone," written by Scott Wesley Brown and Jeff Nelson. This one has always been special to me and it was just what I needed yesterday. So I decided that I wanted to translate this song into Russian... and since I don't know all the rules and words yet, I'm using Google Translate to help me out. :)

But before I share with you my translation of this song, I want to tell again just how real God's grace has been for me this week...

I was feeling just a little discouraged earlier on because I was struggling with understanding the formation of certain phrases and words and I wasn't sure if I could make the transition to thinking differently. I also had a couple of late nights and so I was tired yesterday morning when I went into class.

I ask the Lord each day to help me with the tasks ahead of me and I know that He will but sometimes I feel unworthy of that, which is exactly the definition of grace - receiving something we don't deserve. So His gift to me was that yesterday I was able to grasp the concept we had been studying earlier on in the week and I made some progress. Today, I was able to communicate not only with my language teacher, but also with my landlady IN RUSSIAN and this is amazing, considering I have only had 4 weeks of language classes!

I started by translating the words of the chorus and that's what I want to share with you today. The words are not always a direct translation, but as accurate as possible to what the English words mean:

Grace alone, which God supplies.

Только благодатью, что Бог снабжает.

Strength unknown, He will provide.

Великая сила, Бог обеспечит.

Christ in us, our Cornerstone -

Христос в нас, наш фундамент.

We will go forth in grace alone.

Мы будем идти вперед в благодати только.

So remember, whatever you are facing today, you can go forth in God's grace alone -- it is sufficient for our every need!!

MESSAGES FROM GOD

This is an exciting post to write!
     I'm not surprised, since I know that God does this, but when you experience Him speaking to you and the reality of the message applies directly to where you're at in that moment, then it's time to pause and give thanks to the One who knows us so well and knows just exactly what we need.

* Sunday morning was one of those times.
     I have been here in Kiev, Ukraine now for 4 weeks - THAT'S really hard to believe - and I'm just barely scratching the surface of understanding the language. So as I went to church, I hoped but did not expect to feel a part of the service, especially the sermon (проповедь).
     However, with my Russian-English parallel Bible I was able to follow along somewhat with the Scripture reading (I still make a few mistakes with some of the letters in the alphabet, and he was reading quickly), so I at least knew what he was speaking about. My vocabulary is growing slowly, but there were times when he slowed down or emphasized certain points, and I was ACTUALLY able to understand a few of the words and phrases!
     The Scripture passage was Daniel 1:1-20, and he read and spoke on it in sections. I don't know what the main points of his message were, but here's the really awesome thing: God spoke a message from that Scripture passage to my heart during the sermon and it was EXACTLY what I needed to hear!!

What was the message?
     Well, you know that Daniel 1:1-20 recounts the beginning of the time that Daniel and his comrades, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (otherwise known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) spent in Babylon as exiles. Under Daniel's leadership, they requested - and were granted - the privilege of abstaining from the king's chosen food and drink in order to stay true to the Lord God, and Daniel was confident that they would not be found wanting. After a 10-day trial, they were found to be better in appearance and health than the other young men and verse 17 also says that God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom.
     The message that God spoke to my heart was this: that putting Him and His desires for me in the place of primary importance is what will cause me to prosper. Now, I'm NOT saying that I am expecting God to instantly give me supernatural insight and skill with the language (even though that would be amazing), but I realized that if I want to have success in what I do and be pleasing to my Lord and King that I MUST make sure He has first place.

     I'm trying to get into a new routine here, and daily devotions have been a little irregular over the past couple of weeks, so I made a conscious choice that despite everything else, I would make sure that the first thing I do to prepare each morning is to take my quiet time with God. I pray and ask Him daily to help me with the language learning and whatever challenges will face me that day, but I also have a responsibility to walk in relationship with Him as He desires me to. And I know that when I put Him first, I will have the proper perspective and responses to the situations I face.

* The other message was one that I received today, so that is why I am writing it down now.
     I receive a daily email devotional from "Joni and Friends," the ministry of Joni Eareckson Tada, and it is always encouraging to my spirit. Today's message was exactly what I needed to hear and, God-incidentally, it was the first thing I saw when I opened up my email this afternoon.
     The title of it is called "Fruit Comes Through Struggle" and it talked about how a grapevine needs to struggle in order to produce excellent fruit, because if it has an easy time growing, all the nutrients will go into the leaves and it will only look good.

     The challenge, of course (kонечно), was to apply this to our lives: to see the struggles that we face as coming from the Lord's hand, and to realize that without them we will not produce the kind of spiritual fruit that He wants to see in our lives.
    Why was this particularly applicable today? Because I had a difficult language lesson today -- it felt like I was running into a roadblock to understanding the concepts I was being taught. I don't like to struggle - I want to feel competent, to see myself making progress and to understand. But as I read the devotional I realized that these language lessons are not merely for learning the language -- they are a potter's wheel for developing character and if I can learn to humble myself, accept my mistakes, be thankful for the teaching AND the struggles, and keep pressing on, then I will eventually produce fruit. I'm fairly certain that I won't be fluent, but God knows what I need in order to be involved in this ministry He has called me to and He is sovereign over ALL the circumstances of my life.

So bring on the challenges!
     With my Lord walking with me and my eyes on Him, I cannot fail and He will cause me to bring honour to His Name for the things being accomplished in and through my life!!

 

ALL FOR A PURPOSE

Romans 8:28 says this:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Once this truth is firmly fixed in our hearts and we trust God to guide us in His wisdom, we will begin to see how the details of our lives are fitting into a specific plan that only a sovereign God could have designed. Even though we may not yet understand exactly what that plan is.

Yet along the way some circumstances don't make sense and we wonder, "Just how exactly does this fit into the big picture?" We don't always have the privilege of discovering the purpose of these events and we simply have to walk by faith, knowing that God will use them in some way. But sometimes a long while afterwards we can look back and see in reflection at least part of the reason why certain things happened in our lives.

Today I had two of those moments. The first came when I was reading email responses to my latest ministry update, and a special friend wrote these words to me:

"Remember once when you and I were talking,

and you said that you wished you had met the right man so that you could be married and have children because you love children so much? God always has a better plan,

better because He finds a way for Himself to be glorified and as a result we receive blessings too. 

Now you will have MANY children to love and care for, not just the one or two

that you could have naturally."

I still pray and believe that God has someone special for me someday, but what my friend shared is true. Had I been involved in a relationship, or perhaps married with a family, I probably would not be where I am today, preparing for full-time ministry to needy children in a country halfway around the world from where I was born. God knew that and He lovingly and carefully kept me for a special purpose that I could never have dreamed of and that now fills me with an inexplicable joy and hope!

The other moment came as I was doing my supper dishes. I have discovered that in Ukraine, things are done a little differently than what I'm used to -- here we use a sponge with a little bit of dish soap and some running water to wash the dishes. We don't fill up a sink with water, and there's no second sink to rinse in. And I have to wash up the dishes after each meal, because of the size of the kitchen and the relatively few dishes we have. Once the dishes are washed, they are put away in the cupboard - still wet - and left to air-dry. (I dry them sometimes anyway, because I prefer to do that.) Well, it occurred to me that God had prepared me for even this interesting change...

Back in 2005 when I moved to Cambridge, Ontario, I shared a 3-bedroom apartment with 2 other young women. I'm once again sharing an apartment with 2 other women, but that's not where the comparison stops. In that apartment in Cambridge, I quickly found out that my room-mates expected me to wash up my dishes and put them away after each time I used them, rather than letting them pile up on the counter or in the sink. At first that was a bone of contention with me because I was used to doing dishes only once a day. But it was her home, and I realized that I needed to accommodate her wishes.

I did not carry on that tradition over the past 5 years, but learning to do dishes in this way again has been a relatively easy adjustment -- in part because I had already developed the skill years ago. I used to think that was just for that time, but I realized today that even that living experience was preparation for what I would need to do 7 years down the road in another country! (Interestingly, back in 2005 I lived with a young woman named Tanya, and again, one of my apartment-mates is named Tanya!)

Psalm 139:16 says this:

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

None of these circumstances are a surprise to God, and let me tell you...it is a pure delight to be able to look back and realize how God has lovingly and carefully arranged the details of my life that most of the time I would deem inconsequential. Not only is nothing hidden from His sight, but He has planned it all before I was even born -- now that's amazing!

I hope this encourages you today that ALL that happens in your life is FOR A PURPOSE. Embrace it with faith and hope, looking to the Lord God, and you will be able to rejoice and give thanks "in everything."

GLEANINGS

So...I've been reading in Proverbs lately for my devotions and in case you haven't read them recently, just one chapter gives a person enough to chew on for a while.

I've been reading only a chapter at a time and meditating on it, asking God to speak to my heart through His Word...and He has!! (Really, I shouldn't be surprised, because He said that He would.) There are so many wonderful nuggets of truth in the Proverbs - I think sometimes we read too quickly and miss taking these precepts to heart.

So here's a few of my reflections from Proverbs 19 and 20...

Proverbs 19:3 says that the foolishness of man causes his heart to fret against the Lord. I believe God is saying through this verse that when we worry, we're not fretting over circumstances, but rather against Him, who is sovereign over every aspect of our lives. Puts a different spin on worry and reminds me of the other Biblical commandments regarding anxiety...

Proverbs 19:8 is a profound verse...stating that the pursuit of wisdom is not merely an intellectual act, but a spiritual one also. And also that keeping understanding - especially the understanding and insight that God gives us by His Word and His Holy Spirit - will help us find good.

Proverbs 19:11 cut me to the quick because this is so opposite to our natural human inclination. We would rather judge a transgression than "pass over it," but to practice this is to reflect a little of what God is like -- because He is patient with us, deferring His anger, and passes over our transgressions with His divine grace.

Proverbs 19:17 - it truly is important to God how we treat the poor...Jesus declared in Matthew 25 that whatever we do to those who are considered "the least" we are doing unto Him. I think this applies to everyone -- if we call ourselves disciples of Jesus and we follow Him, then whatever we do for anyone, ultimately we are doing for Him. And God is the One who will repay us out of His bountiful grace if we do good to others for His sake.

Proverbs 19:21 struck me...it doesn't matter what we plan for in our hearts, God's purposes will stand. So because of this - if we choose to surrender our plans to His purposes, ultimately we will find great joy and fulfilment.

Proverbs 20:3 -- it's true that it pleases God when we choose not to fight or argue or cause strife, but if I truly believed it to be an "honour" to cease from strife, it would change my attitude greatly, because I want to live an honourable life.

Proverbs 20:6 is a simple but challenging admonition - rather than talking to everyone about ourselves (our good deeds, character, etc), we need to just be faithful with what God gives us to do.

Proverbs 20:12 - at first glance, this verse seems to be a reminder to give thanks to God for our hearing and sight, but I believe it goes deeper than that. Since the Lord has made both our ears with hearing and our eyes with sight, we should seek to only listen to and look at the things that please Him...as that would bring Him honour for the great gift that He gave us.

Proverbs 20:22 - it is not for us to get revenge and ensure that judgment is meted out for evil...we are to wait on the Lord and He will save us. This is hard to do when we see so much injustice and wrong around us, but if we truly know in our hearts that our God "is mighty to save," then we can wait on and trust in Him.

Proverbs 20:24 is very profound - basically, God has laid out our days and our steps for us, so we should never think that we are in control of our lives, but daily ask God to show us His way and what His will is for our lives.

And finally, verse 29 -- Scripture makes it very clear that gray hair is beautiful. Why then do we fight so against it? If a gray head is beautiful on an older man, wouldn't it be the same for a woman also? Can we not believe God's Word and thank Him for the beauty of growing older? We can choose to be frustrated by the aging process and what we no longer have, or we can be thankful for the days that God has given us. 

Lord, please remind me to always walk in integrity, no matter what I do.

Help me to seek wisdom and keep the understanding You have given me, to use discretion both in words and actions and to forgive transgressions.

May I not become lazy or complacent - as this does not reflect well on a servant of the Lord - but to do everything as unto You. Help me to have pity and compassion on the poor, to accept counsel and instruction and to discard advice that does not match Your truth.

I want to trust You, to wait for Your salvation and to seek You in everything I do.

May I always be thankful for the days You have given me, rather than wishing for something else. And most of all Lord, help me to continually surrender the plans in my own heart to You so that You can truly lead me in the way you would have me go. In Jesus' name, amen.

WITH EVERYTHING...

With every day I see... new aspects of life here and new things to enjoy -- like beautiful purple morning-glory flowers on the way to language school, and places to try exciting new foods!

With every class I realize...how little I know and how to gracefully accept my mistakes -- and I trust that I will remember what I am taught.

With every word I learn...how to communicate what I need for living here -- and yet it is just a drop in the bucket, since there is so much more I want to know!

With every step I feel...a little more adjusted to the way of life here -- and I don't even mind the calluses on my feet so much. I'm getting a lot of exercise and it feels good!

With every hour I find...that time works differently here and I need to adjust my expectations -- the things I need to do will get done, just maybe in different timing that I wanted, and that's okay.

With every prayer I praise... God for His blessings and for the endurance, patience and grace He provides -- He truly is my sufficiency!

~ In everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~

Shopping and Other Things...

Покупки в Украине
Shopping in Ukraine is a very interesting experience. There are little street-side markets (like a mini farmer's market) on many of the streets, where you can buy anything from shoes to fresh fruit to flowers, and often a little cheaper than you can get at the bigger stores. These street markets often don't close until late either, so it's quite handy -- but only if you know enough of the language. I bought a pair of sandals the other day and I didn't understand the lady, so I gave her a larger bill and she was frustrated with having to give me so much change, but...oh well.

I needed a good purse/bag -- most of the ladies here carry very large purses, so I don't feel out of place at all carrying my newest purchase... (see picture below)

I love the colour, the size, the fact that it zips closed, it fits perfectly over my shoulder, AND I can carry all of my school supplies in it as well, so I only have to carry one bag most days!! It's also big enough that if I go shopping for a few small things, that I can just fit them in my purse instead of having to carry another bag.

But speaking of bags, it is extremely helpful to have a bag along in your purse that you can put your purchases in, so when I found this little treasure the other day, I just HAD to buy it!!! (See below)

This is when it is opened up -- it's a medium-sized canvas bag.

And this is when it is closed back up! (It looks just like a little wallet and fits perfectly in my purse without taking up too much space!!)

I also bought a light jacket with lots of pockets, which zips up the side (I haven't taken a picture of that yet), and I like it a lot. Plus, it was a good price. AND...I bought it at the second-hand store here, kind of like Value Village or Salvation Army.

Good footwear is a MUST here, since we do a LOT of walking!! I got a little sore on the back of my foot the other day from my shoes...I must not have worn them that much back in Canada. So then I had to figure out how to keep walking without scratching the skin completely off. A wet wipe folded and wrapped around the back of my foot just inside the back edge of the shoe helped for a bit. I asked a friend if there were bandaids here, since I knew that would help, and she said that we probably wouldn't be able to find them. Well, we did!!

But I am having fun figuring all this out and discovering how well I can adapt to a situation that I've not usually experienced before -- God's grace IS sufficient and He DOES care about the little things that concern us!!

First Week in UKRAINE

Where do I begin? I AM here in Kiev and settling in pretty well, but it still feels kind of surreal. It's been a whirlwind of activity for the past 5 days and I am having a WONDERFUL time! Let me share a few of these exciting adventures with you...

I forgot to bring my camera cable, so you'll have to wait a little for pictures...

     On Wednesday, a new friend took me around Kiev to get acquainted with the bus (marshrutka) and Metro systems, to do some shopping and to get familiar with how things are done here. I love walking, but it was so much more than I've been used to lately, and EVERYTHING is concrete or stone, so I had a case of shin splints as a result. Ouch! A couple doses of Acetaminophen, some Deep Cold muscle treatment and almost a full day's rest...and I'm good as new.

     There are large supermarkets here just like in N. America, and similar types of items, but sometimes less selection than I'm used to. But in the first few days of being here, it is information overload, BIG-TIME! Some of the labels make sense when I read them in Russian/Ukrainian, but others I don't know because my vocabulary is still really small. Then there's the currency exchange -- I want to try to figure out if it is a reasonable price or not, but everything here has to be divided by 8 (that's the exchange rate of a Canadian dollar to a Ukrainian grivna), so that takes some time. And then, of course, things aren't always where I think they should be, so I wandered around looking for things -- which, on the positive side, is a good way to acquaint myself with the store.

     So, within my first day here, I had bought myself a few grocery items - bananas, milk, butter, bread, cheese, yogurt, water - as well as several miscellaneous items - towels, basket, garbage can, hangers, butter knives, mug, kleenex, a map of Kiev, notebooks, and a wallet. I also was treated to lunch at a Ukrainian buffet and I enjoyed a bowl of salad, meat-filled pancakes called "bleeniy" and cherry-filled pastry called "verenekiy." I also learned how to purchase tokens for the metro and pay for riding the bus.

     On Thursday, some more new friends took me downtown and we did a little shopping at the sidewalk vendor stalls -- I bought a few mementos and trinkets and a purse. Today (Friday), I experienced the largest open-air market I have ever seen!! It's like 200x bigger than the Thunder Bay Farmer's Market -- a whole city street is blocked off for the day and it's just a mass of people buying and selling everything from garden produce to fresh fish to clothing!
     Just about everything is less expensive than at the stores, and you can walk from one stall to another until you see what you like -- I bought 1 kg of potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, plums, apples, a container of raspberries, some oranges, and a couple of peppers all for less than 100 grieven, which is like $12.50 CDN. Then we ate "soshli," which is meat and potatoes barbecued Ukrainian-style, and BOY, did that taste yummy!!

     I have had some contact and communication with the other tenant in my apartment -- my landlady gets home this coming Thursday -- and she's really nice. I think we're going to get along just fine, especially when I can communicate more in Russian!! I am figuring out the trick with the toilet and bathroom doors (yes, the bathtub and sink are in a separate room from the toilet) and am working on arranging my food items in the kitchen. I enjoy sleeping on the sofa, my room is pretty well organized now -- YAY -- and the only drawback is that I have to go to a friend's place or take my laptop to the language school to use Internet. Hopefully it's just for a time...

     I also saw some tourist-y sites yesterday...including a walk all the way up to the top of the bell tower at St. Sophia's Cathedral - WOW! I got some awesome shots of the huge city of Kiev, Ukraine! We ate lunch at Celentano's Pizza (you pronounce it "Chelentano"), and enjoyed a few treats from "Lviv Handmade Chocolate" -- delicious!!

     Well, that's about all I can put into words at this point -- I have really been welcomed by the family of the SEND missionaries here in Kiev, which is awesome! I am SUPER excited about attending church here tomorrow and about starting language school on Monday!! Jet lag is not a problem, and I am feeling quite settled, which is a miracle and something for which I'm really thankful for!!

God is SO good ~ ALL the time!!