Safety vs The Enemy

As our countdown to leaving for Ethiopia continues and our plans are coming together (well sort of), so are the fears.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous about what  trekking through the country with our family will be like.  It’s funny how the fears increase with the age in our family.  There’s Aliza (9) who has NONE...raw and ready! Then Kaylee Ann (11) who is a little concerned about sleeping, food and what we’ll ‘do’.  And Justin: He’s been overseas and on missions trips as long as he remembers...HE KNOWS there are always unknowns, some of which are not so pleasant to handle.  Of course me, I’m full throttle roller coaster.  Some moments confident and assured and other times ready to pull the traveling around plug (I wouldn’t pull the trip to see the boys and court plug).  Andy, well...let’s just say still a boy at heart and THRILLED!! Can’t wait for the ‘adventure’.  So, here we sit, plan and pray. 

I called this post SAFETY vs THE ENEMY for a reason.  I think this is the battle that will rage with us in the next few weeks of preparing and while we’re in Ethiopia.  I’ve come to learn that SAFETY is not my goal...not really.  It is when I try to ‘control’ my days.  It’s not when I’m surrendered to my Creator and Savior. Why? Because no matter WHAT comes my way when I’m surrendered, I’M SAFE!! I’M COVERED, NOTHING THAT ISN’T ALREADY ORDAINED FOR ME CAN BE TAKEN FROM ME!  So where else do I have to hide? I hide enough...every single day.  What’s become so dear to me though is how hiding from my sin and from who I truly am provides NO SAFETY!  SO, by the grace of God, I’m learning the safety in letting my days and heart be exposed.  In that exposure, I’M TRULY SAFE! 

So, am I afraid of ‘catching something’ ? YES! Am I afraid of being a victim to a random act of injustice? YES! Am I afraid of something happening to my family? YES!  SO WHY GO? Because I’M SAFE!  My days are already numbered and my home is already secured.  I’m not trying to sound fatalistic, I’m hope to sound optimistic.  Optimistic that God has purposed beyond what I can control IF my earthly safety is threatened.  Afraid, but moving forward...HOPEFUL!

vs THE ENEMY: No surprise the enemy wants to use every bit of my ‘trust’ that I’m safe to YELL the opposite.  Why wouldn’t he?  I’m convinced that the Lord is writing our families’ story for His purposes.  IF I say to my kids: let’s not take the risk here, then I say: You better learn that God can’t meet you all the way.  I’m not saying we should always take the riskiest path in life.  I am saying that we shouldn’t be AFRAID to choose safe as our ‘goal’.  I see constantly God intervening in my days or else I wouldn’t be here.  The enemy wants me to believe God will not come through for me.  Today I take up the side of SAFETY, but not as the world sees it.  I’m coming the believe the world and the enemy have very like sounding voices.  Which voice do you hear?  Pray for our faith and for our safety, knowing the deepest safest place is already secured for us!!  20 days....