God is the Author of Her Story

As we have watched our dear children grow through adolescence and then become adults, nothing has brought us more joy than seeing them grapple with and then embrace the fact that God is the author of their story. A loving, gracious God who has superintended every joy-filled and every painful experience in their lives.  He, the loving, the good, the tender Shepherd has always been at work in them to make them who they are today.

Having Lindsay live with us this semester has been such a gift from a loving Heavenly Father.  He knew this mom needed one of her kids around her as she adjusted to her new life in Niamey.

Last Thursday, Lindsay was asked to tell her story in the weekly junior high/high school assembly at the school where she is teaching.  She was vulnerable and open as she shared the deep pain and loss she experienced  in leaving Africa in 2005.   And then, tears came to our eyes as she shared coming to a profound understanding of who this God is that she worships.

Here are a couple of quotes from her talk:

"Although I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was 9 years old, I was not worshiping the right god. I was worshiping a god who existed for my happiness and who I had shaped and formed in my mind. I was seeking the God I wanted, not the God who is. You see, when you transform God, you are worshipping an idol. When you believe what you want to believe, you morph God into what you want Him to be. You believe in a god that suits your taste. That’s idolatry. When I moved back to the US, the god I had created in my mind was failing me. He had planned the wrong story for me. I was disappointed in His plan..."

"... I may never know “why” until Heaven, but you know what makes it easier? The God I obey and the God I have faith in is a good God. He’s completely good. And He’s eternal, so He’s eternally good. He’s sovereign, so He’s good in all areas of everything. He’s the Perfect Author, so He only writes good stories..."

 "...But one thing I know, I serve a God who is good and it was good for me to go back to Kansas in 2005."

 This is when she was saying,  "I love, love, love, love my family!"