Trust

Trust, like so many things in our lives is not once-and-done. I'm finding (as shouldn't be a surprise) that I need to trust God each and every day. Yes, I had to trust to decide to come to Japan, but I also need to trust Him and keep my eyes on Him every day. I need to trust Him for my health, for my needs, both spiritual and physical, for my relationships both here and in the States, for my students that I pour into, for my church family. I say MY things. The truth is, every good and perfect gift is from above. It's all by Him, through Him, and to Him. Everything I have is God's.

I don't know what the future holds. Sometimes that can be scary. It can be hard to give my all. I pray that I can be all in, because of who He is. I pray for a humble heart, filled with surrender, love, and faith. When life gets into a rhythm or seems mundane, may I lean in to who He is.

The past two weeks have been full of beauty and also some hard stuff. There has been a lot of sickness going around, as is common this time of year. As a teacher, I'm definitely not unaware of that. Kids have been absent. Make-up classes have been scheduled. But with some kids being gone, I am also excited that we have a few new students joining! Each day is a bit of a juggling act, and learning to be flexible.

We are also preparing for spring and all that brings. In Japan, the school year starts in April. that means that we need to do a bit of rearranging as student's school schedules change. We're also getting ready for Easter events at church. Pray that the Gospel would be heard and received by the students and their parents! Pray that we can be a reflection of God's great love!

I have been battling a little sickness myself these past couple weeks, so when I found myself on Tuesday with a couple hours to spare on a 75 degree day, I took advantage of it! I went for a walk along "my" river, and enjoyed the little signs of spring. There are so many reasons for which to praise God!!

The warmth didn't last long, and since then it's been rainy and cool. But God is still worthy of my praise and surrender! A verse that's been on my heart this week and is my aim through all ups and downs of life:

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12