A one-year sojourn

Tomorrow will be a significant day, for a couple of reasons. Number one, it will be my Mom's birthday! Happy Birthday, Mama. We love you and are very blessed to have you as Mom, Ma-in-Law, and Lulu.

The second reason it is significant is that it marks the 1 year anniversary for us being out of the United States. Yes, that's right. We left on my Mom's birthday. Not cool on my part, but it was the day that our visa was granted and we were pushed for time.

Being out of our home country for one year has been a reminder of all the things that have changed in our lives during that time. There are advantages and disadvantages.

Disadvantages:

1) We have not seen most of our family in a year. We were blessed to see Krisy's parents a couple of months ago and that helped us a bunch.
2) We have not driven (or owned) a car in a year.
3) I have not eaten at Long John Silvers in a year. AHHHHHHH!
4) We have not been swimming in a year. Ah, chlorine.
5) 365 days since last Cracker Barrel intake. Something must be done.
6) We have not been outside with bare feet in a year. We miss you, Sandspurs.
7) We have not had our own mail box in a year (for sending mail). Oh, little red flag.
8) I have not watched David Letterman for a year.
9) We did not see one episode of Lost this past season (we could have, but we don't have cable).
10) We have not had an air conditioner for a year (actually, we only miss the sound).

As you can see, most of the disadvantages are very minor. God has been gracious and we are more at peace here than any time in our memory. I don't say that as a 'blog cliche'. As we have discussed our time here, Krisy and I have both talked about how it has been marked with a sense of peace and confidence that the Lord is accomplishing a good work in us. But these little milestones are helpful for us in taking stock of this experience. Now, on to advantages!

Advantages

1) We have not paid for gas, oil changes, or car insurance for a year.
2) We have not seen a snake, fire ant, or mosquito in a year. Mice? Yes.
3) We have lived in one of the world's most beautiful cities for a year.
4) We have been following a God-given dream for a year.
5) We have seen God provide during a strange period in our lives.
6) We trust God more now than we did a year ago.
7) We know what it's like to have people praying for us for a solid year.
8) We have a more global perspective on the cause of Christ than we did a year ago.
9) We have a year of memories that we never imagined we would have.


From time to time, certain verses seem to speak to our family at the same time. Delaney's current memory verse is Psalm 121:1

"I will lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help it comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth."

The Psalm goes on to say, "The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night." As I type this I am listening to a song (on repeat) by Margaret Becker that sets these words to music. These words are filling our house and we think on them often.

These verses are not new to us. When I was in the hospital a few years ago, they came ringing in my ears in the middle of the night. I preached these verses at the funeral of a friend who died of cancer. Now our little girl skips across the creaking floors of our little apartment singing them. We know them well. But we are continually learning to trust what they teach us about God. The greatest advantage of this one year sojourn is that we now more fully rely on another promise in this Psalm:

"The Lord shall preserve you from all evil. He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in, from this time forth and forevermore."

Tonight we are going celebrate this one year mark in two ways. First, we are going to have hamburgers, french fries, sweet tea, and ice cream for supper. We need a little taste of home. But second we are going to thank the Lord who preserves our souls. It so happens that we live just below a very large hill in Edinburgh. Tonight we will lift our eyes unto that hill and know that our help comes from beyond its peak. Our help comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth.