My family + I want to Thank You all for continuing to stand + walk with us through this unexpected journey.You have been such a blessing to us in so many ways: praying, cooking wonderful meals, visiting, writing cards + notes of encouragement, continuing to post flyers and look for Erica throughout our city. Indeed, her picture is all over this city, but where is our Erica?
Today’s Sunday, Day 30: almost a full month since she disappeared and discouragement rears its ugly head.
Indeed, we have no leads/clues/signs that point to her whereabouts. The police have said the trail has gone cold.
At times our trail/walk/journey here on earth seems to likewise grow cold.
Like those two downcast disciples on the Emmaus road that Resurrection day, nothing makes sense. They had bits of information, but the dots didn’t connect.
But it seems right now we don’t even have any dots!
So we must walk through this darkness, this absence of light, by faith.
Faith that trusts God, the evidence of things not seen. Trusts the One who made the world out of nothing to bring sense out of no sense. When nature and its ‘facts’ or lack of them say it’s impossible, Our God: the God with whom all things are possible, speaks and acts! Someone told me at the beginning of this journey that it would come to where it was impossible for man, so impossible in the world’s view that only God could bring His Possible out of our impossible! Nothing is impossible for Our God! Jesus has risen from the dead: this is history’s greatest fact and Good News!
+ regardless of how hopeless our life/seemingly hopeless situations/ my wife’s disappearance may appear, believers rejoice in the truth of Christ’s Resurrection and have hope in this life + beyond.
We may feel: DIS-couraged, DIS-tressed, our vision has DIS-appeared + we are DISappointed, but we cannot let the enemy 'DIS' us.
Let the Blood + Love of Jesus wash + break off the 'DIS'es:
we're not dis-qualified, but qualified, not dis-approved, but approved because He is ever faithful who has called us. His faith + love remove the ‘dis’ from our temporary dis-appointments; so we are ready for His Appointment!
In the middle of last night, I received a phone call. I clumsily reached for the phone in the dark, somehow managed to turn it on, only to hear our friends’ voice from Nigeria. From the heart of the African jungle came this cry: ‘Pastor Henry, the church here is praying for Erica to come home!’
And then I heard singing in the background; it grew louder, with drums:
our brothers + sisters lifting us up in prayer, praising God + worshiping as only Africans are able: turning sorrow into rejoicing!
I joined with the heavenly choir here on earth + immediately felt the ‘dis’ break off my previous dis-couragement. I was en-couraged!
Then after I’d slept a while longer, I woke up to read Hebrews
10:32 recall the former days in which after you were illuminated, you endured a
great struggle with sufferings…
35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God,
you may receive the promise:
37 ‘For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’
39 But we are not the kind who shrink back and are destroyed; on the contrary,
we keep trusting + preserve life!
Please: Be Encouraged! Our God is on the throne of the universe, He is with us + with Erica also + she is with Him. Whether on earth still or in heaven, I don’t know, but let’s join the African heavenly choir + let her dis-appearance be His opportunity for the Lord Jesus' appearance to + through us all!
Today’s Sunday, Day 30: almost a full month since she disappeared and discouragement rears its ugly head.
Indeed, we have no leads/clues/signs that point to her whereabouts. The police have said the trail has gone cold.
At times our trail/walk/journey here on earth seems to likewise grow cold.
Like those two downcast disciples on the Emmaus road that Resurrection day, nothing makes sense. They had bits of information, but the dots didn’t connect.
But it seems right now we don’t even have any dots!
So we must walk through this darkness, this absence of light, by faith.
Faith that trusts God, the evidence of things not seen. Trusts the One who made the world out of nothing to bring sense out of no sense. When nature and its ‘facts’ or lack of them say it’s impossible, Our God: the God with whom all things are possible, speaks and acts! Someone told me at the beginning of this journey that it would come to where it was impossible for man, so impossible in the world’s view that only God could bring His Possible out of our impossible! Nothing is impossible for Our God! Jesus has risen from the dead: this is history’s greatest fact and Good News!
+ regardless of how hopeless our life/seemingly hopeless situations/ my wife’s disappearance may appear, believers rejoice in the truth of Christ’s Resurrection and have hope in this life + beyond.
We may feel: DIS-couraged, DIS-tressed, our vision has DIS-appeared + we are DISappointed, but we cannot let the enemy 'DIS' us.
Let the Blood + Love of Jesus wash + break off the 'DIS'es:
we're not dis-qualified, but qualified, not dis-approved, but approved because He is ever faithful who has called us. His faith + love remove the ‘dis’ from our temporary dis-appointments; so we are ready for His Appointment!
In the middle of last night, I received a phone call. I clumsily reached for the phone in the dark, somehow managed to turn it on, only to hear our friends’ voice from Nigeria. From the heart of the African jungle came this cry: ‘Pastor Henry, the church here is praying for Erica to come home!’
And then I heard singing in the background; it grew louder, with drums:
our brothers + sisters lifting us up in prayer, praising God + worshiping as only Africans are able: turning sorrow into rejoicing!
I joined with the heavenly choir here on earth + immediately felt the ‘dis’ break off my previous dis-couragement. I was en-couraged!
Then after I’d slept a while longer, I woke up to read Hebrews
10:32 recall the former days in which after you were illuminated, you endured a
great struggle with sufferings…
35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God,
you may receive the promise:
37 ‘For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’
39 But we are not the kind who shrink back and are destroyed; on the contrary,
we keep trusting + preserve life!
Please: Be Encouraged! Our God is on the throne of the universe, He is with us + with Erica also + she is with Him. Whether on earth still or in heaven, I don’t know, but let’s join the African heavenly choir + let her dis-appearance be His opportunity for the Lord Jesus' appearance to + through us all!
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