It’s Not the End

The time has come for me to stop investing my time in this blog.  How my heart still beats for you precious women on the mission field of nations and cultures not native to you.  How I still desire to help you, encourage you, be a go-between for you to share what you’re going through with others who can understand because they’ve been there, or are there now.

 

The numbers have shown for a long time that this just isn’t happening.  The blog will remain up for a while, but there will be no new posts.  I do understand that time is precious, and that it takes so much more of it to do normal daily activities in many places; so, reading a blog and getting involved in that kind of give-and-take is one more thing to add to an already full plate.  I also understand how much Facebook is used now, though this blog would be a better venue for what the Lord showed me it was to be – but never was.

 

Anyway, while it might be the end of this way of reaching out to my beloved sisters around the world, I truly believe the Lord will open other doors for me that He will use to touch your hearts and lives with His encouragement and love.

 

Thank you for the time that you have spent here.  I truly hope your spirits have been lifted at just the right moments, and you were able to refocus on the One Who is right there with you always.  As much as I love you, He loves you so much more and is for you in ways I never can be.  Be blessed with all grace, love, and peace that are in Jesus Christ, Who is in you!

Can’t Help Myself

3 weeks later

3 days old

You have no choice but to allow me to deviate from my normal posting.  You see, I am no longer a surrogate grandparent to friends’ children.  I am now Nana, just back from a trip to see and hold my first-ever grandchild, Colton Lewis Stocking.  He was born September 1, weighing 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and measuring 21 1/4” long.  Three weeks later, he already weighs 10 pounds, 15 ounces, and has grown to 22 1/4″. You experienced grandmothers understand my elation, and those of you yet-to-be grandmothers will have my full enthusiasm when your time comes around.

I’m overjoyed with this little fellow, even though he is 1100 miles away!  At least the days are gone for film cameras, waiting to develop pictures, make copies, and stick them in the mail.  Now we have digital cameras, card readers, internet, and instant sharing of the most up-to-date pictures.  How thankful I am for these technological advancements!

Mom, Dad, and son

My heart overflows with thanksgiving to the Lord for my children and my children’s children, and for His promises to them of righteousness and truth.

Psalm 103:17 NIV  But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord ‘s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children —

Isaiah 59:21 AMP  As for Me, this is My covenant or league with them, says the Lord: My Spirit, Who is upon you [and Who writes the law of God inwardly on the heart], and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouths of your [true, spiritual] children, or out of the mouths of your children’s children, says the Lord, from henceforth and forever.

Thanks for letting this proud nana beam!

Entering the 21st Century

Believe it or not, I have joined the ranks of those using Facebook.  If that’s not enough for this one who has sneered at what I referred to as non-communication, I also have a Twitter account!  I don’t even own a smart phone – just one that makes good phone calls (on which I have the texting feature disabled ).

I saw the handwriting on the wall for me with Facebook, as that’s where all the pictures of our coming grandson will be found.  Then my website designer began encouraging me to hop on board with Twitter, too, insisting, in his very gentle way, that social networking is the future of the web.  If I want more people to be exposed to my website, he said, I need to sign on.  Ugh!

Guess what?  After a few months, I’m flowing more comfortably with FB.  More surprising than this is that I like what I read on Twitter more than FB.  Because my Twitter account is for prayforthenation.org purposes, I have pursued those who share a heart for prayer, and have managed to bump into a few who post many different Christian tweets, some of which I skip, but some of which I enjoy digesting.  The following are some examples:

• Compromise is the assassin of fellowship with God.  (Mark Hall)

• Marriages that work take work.  The grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence.  It’s greener wherever you water it!  (Bless India)

• Sin turns you inward; the gospel turns you outward.  Sin enslaves you by making you big.  The gospel frees you by making you small.  (Pastor Tullian)

I am still pretty new to all this, so I’m still learning – especially how to control the amount of time I spend, and how frequently I check my accounts!  But I’m also beginning to see some value in them, if they are used as the Lord directs.

So, if you’re already involved, and we haven’t been connected through them, you’ll find me on Facebook as Kay Stocking (include a note that you know me from here), and on Twitter as Pray4Nation.  And, you’ll always find me right here at Women on the Mission Field.

Simple Delights

I just had a most wonderful experience as I shopped the aisles of Whole Foods Market.  As you can imagine, because I live a gluten-free lifestyle, and there is almost always some form of gluten in the ingredients, I generally ignore the free samples of food.  This time, though, there was a display (with samples) of Glutino brand (a gluten-free manufacturer) pretzels on one of the end caps.  Initially, I didn’t take any, as I easily end up with a pantry full of gluten-free junk food.  As I came upon it for the second time, I decided to try one, with no intention of buying.  My experience with many of the gluten-free offerings has left me less than satisfied in taste or consistency, and sometimes both.

Wow!  Was I surprised as I bit into this little pretzel!  I kept re-checking the display to be certain these were gluten-free.  Maybe I had been mistaken and had just re-introduced gluten into my system, for which I would pay in a few hours.  No, they were the real thing – and safe!  Then I wanted to ask people around me if they understood how good these gluten-free pretzels are.  I asked another lady who was looking at one of the bags if she eats gluten-free.  When she looked at me like I had three heads, I quickly determined that she is not – a little disappointing, to be honest, only because I so wanted to share the delight of my find with someone who could really appreciate it!

This all seems pretty silly, I know.  I am, after all, just talking about pretzels; but these pretzels, and the simple delights and simple pleasures they represent, can be just the needed boost to keep us going on our course.  May you be surprised by your own simple delight today, my friends!

Thanksgiving Confession

I have a Thanksgiving confession.  I struggled with it for a while, but it occurred to me that perhaps some of you on the field are in a similar place.  I refer to the fact that I am not at all sad because my children will not be with us to celebrate Thanksgiving.  There, I said it.

Before you judge me for less than motherly feelings , hear me out.  If they were going to be here, I would be looking forward to our time together.  They’ve both been away for quite some time, so being without them has become our normal.  In addition, this is how we grew up.  You see, Tom and I were both in Air Force families, with the extended family spread across the country, so holidays weren’t normally a big family thing.  Once we married, we were so far from Tom’s family that we only made that trip once.  Though we were only hours from my parents, most of the time we still chose to celebrate with local friends.

Why am I concerned now?  There’s this guilt thing pushing on me.  When someone asks if “the boys” will be here for any of the holidays and I respond in the negative, there seems to be an automatic reaction of sadness for me, or irritation that they won’t make the effort.  I end up feeling guilty for not feeling bad!  It’s obvious from the reactions that I should.  Ugh!  The truth is I am really, really okay with this.  It’s not just because we have a “family” gathering we’ve attended for more than a decade now.  It’s because it really doesn’t bother me.  I don’t know why, but I refuse to accept that guilt any longer.  That is definitely not from the Lord!

I began to wonder if any you deal with the guilt of not feeling so bad about being without your natural families during holidays.  You have made your home where the Lord sent you, and He has given you a different family there with whom you celebrate holidays.  If your natural family is there as well, it is a blessing, but you are content either way.  If I am over thinking for you, and you really do miss your families during the holidays, I am not trying to negate your feelings at all.

Maybe the whole lesson the Lord wants me to get from this is simply being content where He has me in the season and circumstances of life right now.  I truly am content, and thankful.  I’m thankful for my family, whether here or away.  I’m thankful for the family He’s given me right where I live.  I’m thankful for you wonderful women who answered the call to go somewhere foreign to you, but completely known to the Lord.  And I’m so thankful that the Lord has allowed me to have a place in your lives, even if only through this blog.  I pray that the words He gives me to write bring encouragement and perspective to continue living and giving your all to the precious people of that land.

I know Philippians 4:12 is specifically about money and material things, but it certainly fits my situation.  It says, ” . . . I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation . . .”

Happy Thanksgiving!