Im sitting in the basement of the Colorado Craig’s watching football while Barrett is still nursing a grisly cold. We’ve been reminiscing a lot lately about what has happened to bring us here at this time. Barrett graduated a year ago and we were set to go active duty in March…no go. We soon found out it wouldn’t be for another three months. No worries, I had a job and he had a ton of paperwork. We looked forward to a June send off date. The Lord was gracious to help us find an amazing couple to take over watching after our sweet Betsy and started cleaning out our stuff. June came and we found out there was another delay in the paperwork so we were homeless until the new Navy fiscal year (September). Again, the Lord provided above and beyond by giving us an entire house to rent a couple of doors down with gracious and understanding landlords and for me to keep my job at Southern with the people I had grown to love. He kept us close to our church family that supported us in prayer and reminding us of who God is. He also gave Barrett numerous counseling opportunities, pop up jobs, and the occasion to make connections at conferences that will help us in our future. Its been amazing and humbling to see how He gave us time to serve in the midst of our wait.
About three months ago we finally found out our first duty station…Okinawa, Japan! We are super excited! We laid out the perfect exit plan…well, the Lord still has us waiting and trusting Him. We still are not medically cleared on paper. We packed up our stuff, sent it off by ship and bought a one-way ticket to RI with our life in four suitcases to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I really thought we would hear something there…we did. The email of our paperwork that was sent to Okinawa for signatures bounced back. They needed a new contact. So we bought yet another one way ticket to Boulder and are still awaiting word.
In the meantime, we are enjoying the growth of l’il baby Craig (affectionately called Minus by us…mini-us). I feel like I get bigger by the day but sickness and tiredness are a thing of the past…much to my joy and Barrett’s delight! We have thoroughly enjoyed our time with family but the good-byes just seem to get harder. I wear waterproof mascara consistently.
This morning we listened to a sermon by Mark Driscoll about anxiety, Philippians style. Man, the conviction was deep. We have found ourselves often responding to our circumstances rather than responding to Christ. We set our sights on unknown future events and become anxious rather than remembering who our God is: Sovereign, trust worthy, patient, understanding, loving, perfect, the God who sees, and the God who is WISE. This same God sent His son to die for my sin of being anxious. Phew. How easy it is for me to set my sight on things of the world rather on the things above.
So we wait. We wait not with anxious hearts, but with the hope of our Good God and Savior.
We miss and love you guys!