When I was a child of thirteen or so, a seventh-grader, that was the summer my parents gave me permission to serve away from home as a missionary.  Without two godly women:  Loretta & Shirley, the experience would not have been possible.  It was there on that journey, I met another missionary, an older teen named Jeanette.  We grew close during that mission trip, all of us, because we were serving together in the park as we held “backyard Bible clubs,” we stayed together within the homes of the church family, and each evening, we worshipped together through song.

• Years passed.
• Life continued.
• Janie, another missionary, married and had daughters.
• Loretta passed away and arrived in heaven, where she remains with Jesus.
• Shirley & I now attend church together each week, and last Wednesday evening, she spoke of a young man who journeyed with us that summer, as a fellow-missionary, who now preaches in Tennessee.
• Then, there’s Jennette, the daughter of a minister, who now serves students at a university and wears the title of vice president, who received a PhD in Psychology.
• And then there’s me, the missionary kid, turned high school teacher, turned cross country coach, turned English instructor at the university.

In 2020, God gave me a giant step of faith to take, one that almost made me run the other way and one that grew my faith.  God was at work, in the life of a prayer-warrior, of a lady who would soon become my employer:  Angie.  She often reminds me as she shares with others how she prayed for three years that God would bring me to leave the high school, to come to teach at the university.

That truth was not known to me at the time when God was walking me through the valley of decision, through the valley of leaving the place & the people I had loved for so long.

The Song of Trust—May We Step Forward, Even As We Sing

During the decision time, a godly woman (at the high school where I taught) knew I was struggling with the decision whether to leave or to stay.  She emailed me a video clip of a film from long ago, a Harrison Ford film. The short scene she sent to me was a moment when Indiana Jones (Ford) had to take a step across a ravine, a chasm, a void, a place where he could only see “air” and “death” & could not see “a path” or “peace” in stepping forward.  The video clip is that scene.  As a viewer, we see Indiana Jones squat down and pick up a handful of dirt and small pebbles.  Then he stands and looks across the chasm, the path he knows he must take.  We see his hand move as Indy tosses the handful of sediment across the open void.  We wonder, “WHY?” and then we understand the why.  The handful of dirt and pebbles do NOT fall into the depth of the space that separates Indy from one side to the other.

NO!

When he tosses the particles across, they land upon the “path” that now is suddenly seen.  Until he “sees,” he cannot “SEE” his way, nevertheless, through faith, he is able to “SEE” the trustworthy way he must go.

Thank you Perri for this beautiful reminder of faith.

Thank you for reminding me how God gives us steps of faith that “grow us,” steps we are fearful to take—until we are reminded that YOU, JESUS are always the right path, the way to perfect peace.

The prophet Isaiah was the man of God during the time of Israel and Judah’s sinfulness, of their lack of faith, of their falling away from God.  Isaiah was sent by God to speak to the people, to remind them.  One way he reminded them of the goodness of God was when Isaiah reminded them of the “Song of Trust in God’s Protection” they would one day sing.

See with me the prophecy seen through these encouraging words found in God’s Holy Word.

We are encouraged & We are empowered to Trust God!

All alone, we are encouraged and empowered through God’s steadfast faithfulness.

And also when we are in community with other people of God, with other believers, Christians.

“Shalom”—God’s Peace.

The way things ought to be—found only in Jesus Christ—who makes peace through the cross.

In stepping forward, in stepping away from the place & the people I knew and loved so much, God moved me, God grew me, and God led me directly back into the world where Jennette now resides—at Campbellsville University.

When we were teens serving together as missionaries in northern Ohio, as mentioned earlier, we worked with children throughout each day, we shared many meals together, and we met together in worship through song each night.  It is there, during one of those nights that we sang Scripture, a verse from the Bible, put to music by the pastor of that church where we served.  We memorized that song as we sang the words, and still today, these beautiful words resonate deep within me.

Please sing aloud, full of empowerment and encouragement, encased within the truth that God’s great love for humanity is that which unites us, which grows us, and which reminds us WHY WE BELIEVE.

Our old nature is dying daily as we “put on” the newness of Christ.

Our old nature is buried with Christ within the grave.

We have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless—we LIVE!

So, we do not invite into our being those desires, deeds, thoughts, and actions that died when we accepted Christ into our heart.

So, we allow God to “grow” us, to trim away those things that we hang onto, as He makes us into a worthy vessel, worthy unto Him.

I find that I need so much (more) trimming; maybe you find this to be true too.

• NEVERTHELESS, We are NEW Creatures through Christ Jesus.
• NEVERTHELESS, We live in the flesh & live by faith in the Son of God!

Today, I find myself singing praises to Almighty God, thanking Him for those beautiful ones He provided me during that season of leaving, of stepping from This to THAT.

Thank You God for mom, for Darrell, for Julie, for Julena, for Sydney, for Angie, for Jill & Mischele, for Ron & Curtis, for Perri, for Rodney & Pat, for Edwina, for Shirley & Loretta, & for Jenette.

Thank You God for those who encouraged me.

Thank You God for empowering me.

The Song of Trust—May We Step Forward, Even As We Sing.