Believing without seeing

 

Now that we are in the middle of summer I have realized that I haven't posted in about a month.  Summer is crazy here at Washington Family Ranch, and this year is no different.  About the third week of camp, Young Lives (Young Life ministry to teen moms)  had to be cancelled because of the flu in camp.  We were all pretty bummed, until we had a fire break out that week.  We soon realized how much God was in control!  The fire spread pretty quickly and came very close to some homes of the staff.  It burned down the RV park, luckily there were not RV in the park at the time.  It was neat to see God's hand in it all.  The only structures that burned down were 4 tree-forts the staff  kids built.  Not that they weren't sad to see them go, but no homes were touched! 


These 3 chairs were left after one of our staff had to pull his trailer out the day of the fire. 

 

  The first year I came out here, some volunteers built a great fire pit in the RV park. The chair and bridge did not make it through the fire

 



The fire got dangerously close to homes...

"When you walk through fire of oppression you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you."  Isaiah 43:2



Too close to comfort.  the staff kids tree forts are gone, but we are thankful our homes were saved.


 

Being out here for 8 years, I still have moments of doubting God.  I love the story of Thomas in the Bible.  In the book of John, John writes, "One of the twelve disciples, Thomas, was not with the others when Jesus came.  They told him, "We have seen the Lord."  But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds, put my fingers into them, and place my hands into the wound of his side."  John 20:24

 

I feel like Thomas at times.  Sometimes I doubt God's goodness, because I don't see with my own eyes. I also doubt God because I don't see an answer to pray the way I think it should be answered.   During the fire, I had my doubts that I would see God.  The week that the Young Lives was cancelled, I thought "Why would God make it so these young girls couldn't experience camp."  They worked so hard to save up money to come, some  bought plane tickets to travel down here.  In my human perspective, I was thinking it wasn't fair.  We soon realized that God ways are bigger then our ways.  That week the fire broke out, and camp was empty so we could focus on the fire, and not have to worry about people in camp.

 

Me on the Adventure course!!  God surely has me on an
adventure I did not think I ever on!  Living a life at YL camp!!

John continues to write "Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was them.  The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them.  'Peace be with you," he said.  The he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and look at my hands.  Put your hand into my wounds in my side.  Don't be faithless any longer.  Believe!""  John 20:26-27

I think my biggest struggle is believing that I will never be married.  One of my deepest desire is to be a wife and a mother.  To have my own family.  I tend to believe that it won't happen because I have CP,  (which I know is crazy!!) , but it something I have struggled with for many years. 

As I was reading my devotional the other day, Luci Swindoll, wrote, "One of the sweetest pleasures of singleness is coming and going as I please."  She quotes 1 Corinthians 2:9, "No eye has seen, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."

Enjoying Kayaking at Lake Tahoe with one of my favorite people!!
I am blessed!!

I have no idea what God has plan for me.  But in the meantime I want to enjoy the life He has given me.  I can come and go as I want.  I can go on vacation anywhere I want.  Do what I want, and be who I want to be.  Jesus told Thomas, "You believed because you have seen me.  Blessed are those who believe without seeing." 

 

We haven't physically seen Jesus, but if we are willing to believe, who knows what God as prepared for us.  Today, I was encouraged to ask "Lord, reviel to me what you have for me today."  My prayer is I can ask this question everyday!

 

God Bless!

Bri