Calm in the Chaos–“I Shall Not Be Moved!”

Bible

Live Simply. It’s easier said than done, isn’t it? My heart is willing, but when life just gets a little complicated, it does get harder to keep it all in perspective:

Trying to focus on what I need to do today...

It’s not always easy to do on those days when you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day–when one month meets the next and you realize that the “free” days are fewer and farther between and you’re thinking, “How will I ever get everything done?!”

Somebody please remind me that I’m not alone!

One important goal I have in life: No regrets. Not completely obtainable, I know, but if I set my mind to do the things that really matter most, then those little things that get left undone won’t really matter. It all comes down to letting go again, doesn’t it?

Letting go of the mundane for the eternal.

Letting go of the petty for the significant.

Busy-ness can be a curse, OR we can see it as a blessing–so much opportunity for good. Keeping our focus can be difficult, but if we prioritize and set goals it does help to keep that perspective clear and our purpose in tune with what God would want from us and for us. Here’s how it happened for me this week:

It’s a whirlwind of activity since April came rushing in, and we are only days away now from our trip to MADAGASCAR. There were twelve of us, including my husband and I, and my mother-in-law–UNTIL one week out and we got word that because one of my main teachers has a concussion, her neurologist has told her she should not fly…

Needless to say, that brought a little rain on my parade. She was an important part of our team and a great support to me, personally. Can you say, “re-focus!”

Feeling the heat of the moment, there was no other option but to let go of the worry and earnestly seek wisdom from God for the direction we would take.

Later the same day I received a call from our travel agent that Kenya Airways had cancelled our flight from Nairobi, Kenya to Antananarivo, Madagascar. The flight plan would have to be completely re-routed. The complications of this added to the rearranging of teachers to accommodate the classes, and the first thought that came to mind was,

“YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!”

ONE WEEK before departure… and God brought an old song to mind that I hadn’t thought of in years: “I shall not be, I shall not be moved, I shall not be, I shall not be moved! Just like a tree, that’s planted by the water, I SHALL NOT BE MOVED!”

I absolutely love this verse from Jeremiah:

The man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.

He will be like a tree planted by water:
it sends its roots out toward a stream,
it doesn’t fear when heat comes,
and its foliage remains green.
It will not worry in a year of drought
or cease producing fruit.

Jeremiah 17:78

“GOD’S GOT THIS!”.

We sometimes say it, almost flippantly, but in this case, I knew that God knew ALL of this was going to happen, and so I chose to trust that He had a plan far better than ours OR the enemy’s.

“But I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will stand up; though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.” Micah 7:7-8

It became a complete understatement when you see how God has brought good out of all of it:

We get in on the same day as before–leaving one day later, meaning less travel time.
The change actually saved us money, because now we pay for one less night’s lodging for eleven people.
Less plane changes means a better chance that all of our luggage will actually arrive when we do.
One of our girls is 17 years old, and was told that SAME day that she was ONE DAY over the limit of days she could miss school–the flight change fixed it all!
AND a special bonus for my family came because of the team member we lost. We are sad that she can’t go, but because she is unable to go, that left one room open in our bungalow–so now our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters can stay in the same unit with us!

So, here I am, plowing through boxes of materials and supplies, and I can honestly say that I am grateful. I have made the choice to simply trust His hand of guidance, His heart of compassion and His generous provision.

My confidence is in the Lord.

“He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” I Thessalonians 5:24