Saturday, September 06, 2008

Dear All,

It is during times like these in particular that the truth of what it means to belong to the family of Christ becomes startlingly real and life-giving. No more walls and institutional forms but just people . . . connected in faith and hope and love. So thank you dear friends in Christ for continuing to uphold us in your prayers, and many of you for writing such heart-warming emails of faith and encouragment.

As I look at what has been happening throughout this whole journey, I believe the first part of the journey was a natural response of our human need where we continuallly cry to the Lord and ask Him to answer our prayers. It was, humanly speaking, a long journey of walking in a dark valley even though we knew that He was right there with us. The journey could have ended as we walked out of the valley, which I believe we have (thanks to all of you who have prayed and fasted so long and so hard), but God has other things to teach us.

And so He has brought us to the next part of learning to wait in trust. He is teaching us to praise and thank Him even when the end is not yet in sight . . . He is teaching us the precious lesson of disciplining ourselves to still our souls and wait in quiet confidence and trust . . especially when the promised end is not yet in sight and the situation has gone beyond space, time and reason . . . I believe that is His desire for all of us through this whole journey, to be able to come to that place of loving and trusting Him in childlike confidence even when everything else is 'shouting' and pointing otherwise.

When the day ended without news yet of Yi Jien, we had to come back to this place of quiet trust and wait . . the disappointment turned again to hope as we looked again and remember how God has never ceased to encourage us every single day and to trust that He is faithful. My readings that morning were in Psalm 144 and 145, and Isaiah 46-49. Isaiah 49 especially encouraged me but it is verse 26b that stirred my heart . . 'then all mankind will know that I, the Lord, am your Saviour, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.'

Therefore for me now, it seems that it even goes beyond experiencing God as our heavenly Father . . it is coming face-to-face with and experiencing Him as the great Creator God, the Mighty Saviour and Redeemer . . it is no longer about us but about Him . . May nothing detract from His glory as He exalts His Name and His Word.

May I leave again the song Like Eagles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNvgTPiUsdM) with us . . I woke up this morning and the phrase from this song just popped into my heart and mind "Patiently I'll wait." I was much humbled in my 'unstill soul'. . . and could only praise and thank Him again.

His peace and joy be with each of you . . . thank you again . . and to God be the glory!

Held by the Hand of God,

kim guat and siu yin

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