The Wingey City

It's pretty cold here in Chicago, not really what I was expecting, in the 30s when the sun goes down.  Seattle was green, blossoming, and pushing 70 on Sunday when I left and I was optimistic that spring was here and the temperatures would be on the rise.  Not so.  We drove through snow flurries from the airport to the hotel and I have had frozen ear lobes every night from walking to and from restaurants.  Wah wah wah, says the local, and they're right, I'm just whining.

In 2Cor. 1:8-11 Paul and his traveling mates have been all over modern day Turkey and Greece and have come up against increasing persecution, discrimination, and flat out hardship.  As he writes to the Believers in the worldly, pagan city of Corinth, he does not hesitate to inform them of their perilous experiences. This really struck me as I studied because at times, I shy away from writing in much detail of mine or my family’s struggles as we prayerfully wait for our next step in missions.  Partly because I feel it’s a personal struggle and not one to burden others with. I don’t want to be seen as “winge”-ing.  But it’s clear that there is great blessing in sharing our struggles as well as our triumphs. Paul is our example by sharing his experiences and then also points out the blessing that they received by the church’s prayer (verse 11).  As a result, there are blessings to share and multiply and the body of Christ functions as a healthy unit.  Pride plays a big part in what we do and do not share.  When we keep it all in, we not only miss out but we rob others of serving Christ by using their gifts.  Also, it’s clear that Paul makes a distinction between whining and honestly sharing a trial or concern, his letter is inspired by the Spirit and is written with real purpose and design, not one word is wasted or out of place. 

So, to start, would you pray for us to continue to hear from the Lord regarding Australia.  Almost every day and sometimes multiple times through the day, He gets our attention and draws us to pray for the nation and the brothers and sisters in the faith who are serving Down Under and I want our hearts to be soft and receptive to hear His voice.  Please pray for consistent and growing faith.  We have days when our faith and confidence in Christ and His promises is enough to feel our feet walking on the steamy sidewalk of some Aussie city and other times when we can’t see past our front door.  Would you pray for Cameron and the kids as they persevere in home schooling and generally keeping up the house while I’m working?  As many of you know I’ve been in training in my new job since January and am having to learn a new career from scratch.  This is a huge challenge and I am jumping in with both feet and often feel over my head.  I am confident though, that in time, it will get easier as I get more training and experience in the field.  I am very thankful for the income and for the potential this job has in opening possible doors in ministry, I just need prayer to keep at it and to stay balanced with my relationship with God, my wife, family, and friends.  As always, thank you for your prayers and support.     Jeremy