Sunday, June 26, 2005

Rebecca's Journey - 65

Greetings Friends,

It has been some weeks since we communicated. Last Thursday Margaret finished her 3 months here. She has been a great blessing. Judy returns to the US in 2 days. Susannah, our daughter, arrives next Thursday. It seems we stay in transition here. Thank God for His grace for change.

From Rebecca: "These last weeks have been good, and they have been difficult. Haven't we all experienced seasons when difficult moments are carefully folded, by His love, into the joy of our life together in Him.

"As Paul said, we are again in a season of change. How thankful we are for Margaret and her love and care these past months, and for Judy's constant faithfulness and service. They have been a strength, encouragement, and blessing to us all. Now we are looking forward to Susannah's arrival. In a few weeks Stephen will join us. And then we'll be in the season of preparation for Phillip and Josie's wedding on August 5th. It will be a full summer.

"I'm thankful to report that your prayers for strength for me have been well answered. I'm up in my wheelchair twice a day, and just generally feeling stronger. There has been some re-enervation in my right thumb and the muscles in my right foot. I can now wiggle the thumb with great dexterity, and make circles with my right foot. One day last week, while making my circles, I said to Donatienne: "Now what is the good of this?" She laughed and assured me that it was the evidence of new re-enervation. She has been excited because it is unusual to have re-enervation in 2 muscles, even small ones, at the same time. 'Make sure those people are still praying, because it is really working,' she said.

"I've been getting up in my wheelchair first thing each morning and going into our garden with my little beeper around my neck (a system that enables me to call someone in the house if I have a need). I have my time with the Lord and my breakfast there. In the quiet, under my pine trees, I meet the Lord and find the joy of His presence. Sometimes I just read a small section of Scripture and then just enjoy Him. There isn't even much that needs to be said. I think of the line in a poem that I love: 'If I tried, I could not utter what He says when thus we meet.'

"A few mornings ago I was reading in ll Corinthians 12: 'My grace is sufficient'. In the footnotes there were these words:

"'God's grace becomes His enablement or empowerment to achieve His plan, endure hardship, or access Him His grace enables us to trust His heart even when we cannot trace His hand "Sufficient" suggests the idea of the supernatural ability or miraculous faculty to sustain, endure, or maintain our call for all He is enabling us to become in Christ.'

"My prayer for you is that you would find Him today in this way."

Paul again! Annie's surgery was successful. I know she'd appreciate prayer for her physical therapy. She plans to return here mid to late July.

Love from us both,

Paul & Rebecca