“I will make a covenant of peace with them… My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
-Ezekiel 37:26a, 27
I was in the doorway of my bedroom with my last miscellaneous items in hand, ready to go.
For a moment, I wanted to honour all the sweet and beautiful and good times I had with God in that room. I felt like I couldn’t say good-bye to the white mattress-cover bed and window seat and empty notice board void of my photos and old notes.
Holy Spirit stopped me before I could lament any further.
“I’m coming with you,” He said firmly, and that was that.
I do not need to lament that my room in Bethlehem won’t be mine for two months nor do I have to freak out that I won’t have special times with God in that particular room. No, I press on towards the goal ahead knowing that He is with me to bring peace throughout the storm. What ever I leave behind, He is coming with me now. What a wonderful God. My Immanuel. Lover.
Mountains and pine trees and farmlands flowed majestically past as we drove up to Auckland. Kristy gushed at New Zealand’s beauty (the sunset was stunning) as she wove around the curves of the Karangahake Gorge. Singing Branches’ Go Tell it on the Mountain with joyful abandon and summer ahead? We were so honored to live in such a place, but hopeful for home and America coming soon!
God is SO good to us.
I want you to know that. You know how He loves you. But remember that He gives you good things. He satisfies the desires of your heart and does not give up. He came to dwell with us.
To dwell with me! If that means Him staying on a window seat in one room, then driving on the motorways of the North Island in Buddy (the car) with us, snuggling on the end of the bed in New Lynn and hearing the prayers of my aunt bringing the Holy Spirit’s peace… and if that means also in three short days hopping in a black SUV to the airport, soon to be on Air New Zealand…
Then if also that means Jesus still with me above our clouds…. arriving with me in Honolulu, sitting with me on the airport shuttle, in the hotel, waking me up in the morning with glee because we are going on Hawaiian Airlines that day and I will see my parents for the first time in over nine months… and see my island once more with Him next to me… if “to dwell with you” means all that, surely He must think I am worth it. Wow. Um. Woah. Thank you Lord.
I am happy. Only because He is my one Constant.
Hold on, dear ones. Hold on to Him.
There you will find your strength while walking on the forest path of our lives. He’s right there with you. ooxx
Photo: walk along Karangahake Gorge; April this year
