Crying My Eyes Out

Crying my eyes out…what a way to start the new year! Sunday, January 4^th we put Blake (our youngest son) on a plane bound for Argentina. I really didn’t have any idea how hard it was going to be! A friend of mine, Candy Tolbert, says having children is like having a part of yourself walking around outside your body. I didn’t know just how distracting it would be to have a part of myself walking around on another continent…

Since that tearful Sunday, I am continually reminding myself of Philippians 4:8, “Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, …THINK on these things.” It may seem silly, but I find myself needing to purposefully change my thoughts from “what if he loses his passport, gets a parasite, or is attacked by a guard dog?” to “God loves Blake even more than I do, and He is walking with him every step of the way.”

Earlier in Philippians 4, Paul encourages us not to worry about anything, but instead to pray about everything. We should tell God exactly what we need, and thank Him for all He has done. As I pray for Blake each day (sometimes each hour), I also need to thank Him for all He has done and is doing in Blake’s life. I really am so thankful that Blake is following hard after God, that he is exploring the call to missions, that YWAM is such an awesome program for young adults like Blake, and that God is giving him AMAZING experiences and opportunities every day.

Worry only brings sleepless nights, a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, and it changes absolutely nothing. But Paul is so right! “If you do this (pray and thank God for all He has done) you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.” While I have to admit that I’m still counting down the days until June 7^th— when I will get to hug Blake again—I’m so thankful that I don’t have to live distracted and worried! His peace really is wonderful!

BTW—Blake is on the bottom right in the photo.