It came to me as I was scrubbing a whole pile of dirty socks in the kitchen sink--
how Irina was God's gift to me this Christmas.
Just thinking again about Ukraine and the heartbreak of having to leave when we had felt God's call to missions,
there at my kitchen sink, in the middle of Mexican soap and dirty socks,
I felt God let me know this was His Christmas gift to me.
I'd tried to give Christ gifts this Christmas in whatever way and opportunity presented itself--
but somehow, it seemed to me that He wanted to give me a gift, too, this Christmas,
right there at the kitchen sink.
Just in the letting me know that all was not lost about missions or about Ukraine and that part of the world.
That He was giving me a little piece of the part of the world that I had loved
in Irina, a new aunt,
someone I had little idea till a couple weeks ago would end up practically in my back yard!
That afternoon, after load after load of laundry washing and drying, I had slipped out of the house and walked up the hill, clear up to the little hillside where there are little pine trees and pine cones and a little sunny patch where I could sit down in the cold air and let the sun warm my face as I gazed at the pond and the windmill.
Thank You for this precious gift--a bit of Russia on my back doorstep!
In the picture below, Uncle George and Aunt Irina are in the very back with tall friend Lawrence beside Irina and Amelia, Lawrence's wife, next to Uncle George. This picture was taken in the front of our church where they came Sunday. Grandma and pa on the right. Our family is on the left and middle in front, minus Rose and Timmy who were sick.
Up there by the windmill and the frozen pond, I just tell God,
"Thank You!"
And maybe something in your life has also seemed in vain.
Maybe it seems like all is lost.
Maybe your dreams are in ashes, and your hopes scattered to the wind, and you live in some sort of barren land of disappointment, drought, debt,
discouragement,
disallusionment
or drudgery,
or all of the above.
Take heart.
God has a Christmas gift for you, too, this year!
how Irina was God's gift to me this Christmas.
Just thinking again about Ukraine and the heartbreak of having to leave when we had felt God's call to missions,
there at my kitchen sink, in the middle of Mexican soap and dirty socks,
I felt God let me know this was His Christmas gift to me.
but somehow, it seemed to me that He wanted to give me a gift, too, this Christmas,
right there at the kitchen sink.
That He was giving me a little piece of the part of the world that I had loved
in Irina, a new aunt,
someone I had little idea till a couple weeks ago would end up practically in my back yard!
As I sat there in winter coat and gloves and scarf and boots and long janes,
just telling God thank You.
In the picture below, Uncle George and Aunt Irina are in the very back with tall friend Lawrence beside Irina and Amelia, Lawrence's wife, next to Uncle George. This picture was taken in the front of our church where they came Sunday. Grandma and pa on the right. Our family is on the left and middle in front, minus Rose and Timmy who were sick.
Up there by the windmill and the frozen pond, I just tell God,
"Thank You!"
And maybe something in your life has also seemed in vain.
Maybe it seems like all is lost.
Maybe your dreams are in ashes, and your hopes scattered to the wind, and you live in some sort of barren land of disappointment, drought, debt,
discouragement,
disallusionment
or drudgery,
or all of the above.
Take heart.
God has a Christmas gift for you, too, this year!
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