I was on a Walmart run today when my cell phone rang. It was Kati calling to tell me that our travelers had reached their destination!
Suddenly, I could feel the tension of the past ten days draining away. I had not even known the extent of my tension, but I felt like I was lighter, like I wanted to skip through the aisles with a huge grin on my face and a song in my heart. A song of praise to my God!
I will sing unto the Lord,
because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
Psalm 13:6
I refrained from skipping, but I am sure that I did not hide my smile and I sang that song of praise in my heart. On the way home, I continued to praise the Lord, and tears of joy flowed from a mama-heart full of gratitude.
Gratitude for 3400 miles traveled in safety. Gratitude for 3400 miles with no vehicle troubles. Gratitude for ten days of no sickness. Gratitude for children who were relatively happy. Gratitude for His mercy and His plan.
I have shared this quote from Elisabeth Elliot before here at Thinking About Home, but this evening it seems particularly meaningful to me.
"It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place."
=D
ReplyDeleteToday, I read some of Elisabeth's wise words. I like these, too.
So happy for them and you guys! Thank You Jesus for watching over them during this long journey! So glad they made it safety!:)
ReplyDeleteO, Cheryl. I can so easily understand the emotions you are conveying. It's so difficult not to worry when our loved ones are on the oh-so-busy roads, and that worry goes way down deep. We long to trust FULLY, but our minds and our hearts just can't completely rest. The power of a mother's love; such an amazing thing. I can feel your joy as you received that phone call in Wal-Mart. O, and I do rejoice with you at God's tender mercies in seeing your dear child and his family safely over all those thousands of miles. Elisabeth Elliot's words are perfect. Praying for Ryan and Sarah as they settle into their new home.
ReplyDeleteI, personally, think you should have skipped! :-D (I wouldn't have been able to refrain from squealing, probably!) :-P
ReplyDeleteSo excited for you, Cheryl!
ReplyDeleteGod is good! I imagine they have so many stories from the road!
Deanna
Good news! I, too, know that hidden tension. A lot of times I'm unaware that I've been holding myself so tense until the moment when the tension suddenly melts. This is a wonderful quote to remember, too.
ReplyDelete