MY GOOD, HIS GLORY

On Wednesday, September 28th, I was finally ready to embark on my cross-country journey...

The car was packed, and I had shared many wonderful times with friends before I left my home in Thunder Bay. I had no idea what awaited me that day, or how the particular Scripture I read and meditated on that morning would be just exactly what I needed.

I had filled up with gas and then begun driving out of the city...it had only been about 20-25 minutes, when at the intersection of Hwy 102 and Mapleward Road my car died! There was a gas station on the right hand side, so I pulled off and stopped. After trying unsuccessfully to start the car, I called my mechanic (who was at his shop) and he said that he would take a look at it if I could get it there. I then called the tow truck and my friends with whom I had stayed the last few nights -- all these phone calls were courtesy of the kind man who operates the gas station -- and within 1 hour the car was at my mechanic's auto shop.

It wasn't long before we discovered that it would be a costly repair to fix the car, which was already leaking oil pretty badly. I called my dad and he recommended that I rent a vehicle to make the trip out west, since I wasn't planning on keeping the car once I arrived in BC anyway. This turned out to be quite a bit more expensive than I desired, but really my only option, since I really needed to get on the road. And God even provided a surprise monetary gift to help with the expense -- He is SO good!!

Here I am with the 1997 Chrysler Intrepid all packed full the night before I left:

Here is the 2011 Ford EDGE that I rented from Enterprise for the trip to BC:

The trip went very well...I drove from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Elm Creek, Manitoba in 9 hours and didn't encounter any wildlife, nor did I sense exhaustion until I reached my destination - PRAISE THE LORD! On Friday, Sept. 30 my mom arrived in Winnipeg by plane and then we drove for the next 3 days together, arriving in Ashcroft, BC on Monday around 4:30 pm. The rental vehicle was very nice, except that the seats were not comfortable on our backs.

After getting settled in my new "temporary" home, on Thursday I opened up my devotional journal and read what I had written down on the morning I left Thunder Bay as I meditated on Psalm 73...

I love how Asaph ends this psalm:

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever...But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all your works.

Sometimes we need to come to the end of ourselves to realize that God is our strength and our portion.

Lord, may it be true in my heart that I desire nothing on earth besides You.

I agree with Asaph that it is good to draw near to God - we see the short-sightedness of our vision and the goodness and faithfulness of the one in whom we've put our trust. And the reason why we've put our trust in Him is so that we can declare all of HIS works, not ours.

Lord, help me to see Your hand in everything, and to declare Your works even when it doesn't make sense to me. Thank You that You do not forsake Your own and that You care about all that concerns us. May I trust You more and more each day.

It is NOT a coincidence that I was reflecting on God's goodness in the midst of circumstances we cannot understand on the day where my travel plans would need to be adjusted...and it didn't take long for me to see just how good God was in all that transpired that day --

- my car died (literally) in front of a gas station, not on the highway in the middle of nowhere
- my mechanic was at his shop early that morning and was able to tell me what was wrong
- the car rental company went the extra mile to help me out with the unexpected expense
- God provided some extra funds to help with the trip
- I had safe travel the entire time and a reliable car to drive

As children of our loving Heavenly Father, we know that all of the things we experience are for our good and His glory, because He has promised to "never leave or forsake us" and that "He will complete the work that He started in us."

IN FAITH AND TRUST...

I love many of the old sacred hymns, and the words of one particular hymn came to mind as I was pondering on how God has been changing my heart recently...

Simply trusting every day; Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small, trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly, trusting as the days go by,
Trusting Him, whate'er befall, trusting Jesus, that is all.

I am convinced that fulfillment and joy come when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, but it's not always an easy thing to do, since it requires that I relinquish the right to control my life and choose to follow God even though I may not see or understand where He is leading.

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

   “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,
   but you would have none of it." ~ Isaiah 30:15

This is a word from the Lord to the people of Israel, who chose oftentimes to lean on their own strength and understanding rather than trusting in the Lord their God. Oh, that we would run to our Saviour, not only to find our salvation, but also to find our strength in Him, in quietness and complete trust!


I began this posting a few months ago, and as I looked at it today, in view of my recent circumstances, I realized how God has been revealing this to me anew...

Everything from dealing with leaving the job I've had for the last 2 years to moving to financial challenges and unexpected changes in my travel plans - all these things remind me that I cannot rely on my own understanding, but that I have to trust in the Lord with ALL my heart in ALL the circumstances I face.

And we know that we CAN trust the Lord, as expressed in Psalm 145:13b --

The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.

IN THE SILENCE...

When August rolled around, I was feeling drained emotionally, physically and mentally, and I needed to get away for some quiet time. The weather this summer has been very nice for outdoor activities, so I decided to go camping on the August long weekend.

I booked a nice little campsite online at the Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park from Sunday, July 31 to Monday, August 1 -- see picture below:

I borrowed the tent from a friend and set up for a nice quiet weekend away.
I took along my Bible and a couple of books and a journal, but really spent very little time doing any of those activities while I was there.

On Sunday afternoon, I went for a walk (well, actually more like a hike) down the Little Falls Hiking Trail. As I was beginning the hike, I discovered a perfect photo opportunity - a butterfly on some thistle-flowers - and I got some really great pictures -- like the one below:

These kind of moments happened all along the way, which was really neat, because I was so very aware of God's presence with me and appreciative of the opportunity I had to experience the beauty of His creation.

The Little Falls trail was pretty steep (both up and down) in some parts, but after awhile I reached the place where it gets its name...a little waterfall and stream that feeds into the Kaministiquia River -- see below:

I chose this picture because of the light streaming down through the trees...the waterfall is not quite so visible, but the light in this picture made me think of God shining His light into our lives. The waterfall flows into a stream that runs downward and connects with the river, and so I took a lot of pictures as I went. This next photo is one of the little pools along the way, and it made me feel so quiet and serene -- see below:

I went looking for a retreat and I definitely found one. There was no one else on the trail (at least not when I was hiking) and most of the time I didn't even feel the need to talk aloud...I just reveled in the tranquility and the beautiful silence of knowing that I was communing with God as I enjoyed His wonderful creation.

The trail meandered along the Kaministiquia River for awhile, where I took a lot more pictures, and the one below is one of my favourites:

In the silence, God spoke to my heart and gave me the refreshment and encouragement that I had been seeking. Sometimes we fill our lives with so many things that we don't have time to just "be still and know that He is God," and I think that was what my spirit needed at that time.

I spent a little bit of time at the swimming area on Sunday afternoon and then returned to the campsite. I tried to read a little bit, but I was so tired (possibly from the fresh air and swimming) and I could finally just rest, that I crawled into bed really early and fell asleep.

The next morning, I awoke just after sunrise and spent some time doing devotions. Then I went for a little walk down the Mountain Portage trail and also took a few pictures of the falls -- see below:

All in all, it really was a retreat, and in the silence I was revived in body, mind and spirit.
I think this is eloquently expressed in many of the Psalms, but especially in Psalm 23, where David says:

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul."