It has been one roller coaster ride of emotions. Joel and I only have about 6 more days here at Friend Ships. I can't believe it actually. I am more in shock than anything. Plus there is so much to do that our goal is to drive out of here. So I haven't thought MUCH about leaving Friend SHips. It feels more like a long vacation then actually leaving.
So I had an awesome thing happened to me that was a God thing for real.
The other day during my quiet time with God I starting thinking how scary it is to leave Friend Ships. That was one of my first times that it truly hit me. So I started to get nervous about us going out in the big bad world. Not knowing what to expect. Then in the middle of my worry the Lord put on my heart that leaving Friend Ships is like graduting from college or a university. That people do it all the time and have great excitement thinking about all that can be offered to them now that they have a degree. And for me graduating Friend Ships I have learned a lot about ministry and what God wants me to learn as well as growing in the Lord to which I am now more like Christ than ever before. (I still have a lONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG ways to go but it is better than when I came to Friend SHips over 5 years ago) So these thoughts of graduating brought me much peace and I really hadn't thought much of it since . . . UNITL TODAY.
There is a lady named Renee that goes to Hope Chapel. She picks food up for her church every week so that a hand full of people from her church can go out and give food to people or families who are in need and share the love of Christ. Renee and I have become good friends over the past year. We even went to an awesome Christian concert last summer that had TOBYMAC. WE got our praise on like no other.
Well Saturday is the day Ranee comes and picks up food for Hope Chapel. Today when Renee came she brought a present for Joel and I. She explained that during the week she started to get sad that Joel and I were leaving. And she didn't know what to do but then she got the idea that we were graduating just like her daughters did a few years ago. And that it wasn't a good bye good bye but that just like any college/university student graduating we would still be in touch.
The "graduation" present touched me so much. Not just because it was very thoughtful of her to get them for us but it was God's way of showing me that things were truly going to be alright.
What an awesome God we serve. I can't believe how much He loves us and takes care of us.
Thank you Lord for your blessings you pour in our lives and through us like no other.
In Love with My GOD,
Dess
This is Hope Chapel praying before going family to family to give food, love, and prayer.
