Come to me all who are weary..

Well, it's about time. Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". It's no wonder we're all so tired. It's amazing that when I'm feeling saddened, depressed, restless, and tired, I will do anything and everything but go to God. I might watch a movie, look to talk to a friend, go on a walk, try to take a nap, or anything other than just spend some time with God. I might pray that He will take this away from me, repeating promises and reminding Him of scripture. Could I be any more dense?

Anyway, my heart has been way burdened lately. Saturday, I wasn't able to go on the beach trip with everyone because of my ankle, so I spent the day with my newest best friend, Mrs. Shin. We ended up going to this really cool outlet mall on a pier, and getting wedding presents for Hiromi (the lady who got married a few weeks back). She is just so encouraging and so wonderful to be around! Hiroko, Jun's wife, (she's cute as a button!) also went with us, and she's so fun. She's very nervous about speaking English, even though she does it quite well. She has driven me around sometimes and I guess she even practiced some English with Naoko just so she could speak to me. I guess I make a big deal out of saying thank you, because she had Naoko practice saying "it's my pleasure, really", but instead, she said "you're my treasure". How cute is that?! But, that afternoon we went to the hospital to visit Mr.Shin. Supposedly we will get his test results today, to find out if it is lung cancer or something else. We're praying for just pneumonia, and a temporary bacterial infection. Needless to say, the Shins are one of the most moving families I have ever met, and the most hardworking! The couple is very much in love, and SO devoted to God and each other! Their daughter, Nachung, is studying to enter University, and she chooses to study at her father's bedside because it is so quiet. They took the afternoon to visit, so it was 3 of the Shins and me. We're all injured-my ankle, Nachun's thumb, Mrs. Shin's shoulder, and Mr. Shin. It was fun! We were all trying to take our mind off things, so I started asking about their family's dynamics, a lot of what Nachung thought, and then Mr. Shin brought up marriage and Michael and all sorts of other good stuff. Needless to say, it ended it in a very long story about how they met and got engaged and married and everything. Dating, engaged, and married in a total of 3 1/2 months. Talk about devotion to God though, tomorrow is their 24th anniversary, and they've never had a real honeymoon. Their wedding night, they went to a Navigators conference with 700 other people, slept in rooms with 50 other people, gender-gender (so separate rooms in separate buildings) for the next 3 days. One day later, they moved to Japan from Korea. They haven't stopped ever since.

After all this commotion and long days of feeling tired, neglected, alienated, and lashed-out at, I was ready to go home. Yesterday I even told a few friends I was ready to go home, and my heart was very heavy. Today, I finally got some good alone-time to read the Bible, and, as usual, was very much encouraged! That's one great thing about the Bible, it never stops speaking directly to where you are in life, if you just open your heart and open the book. So, some encouragement to pass on, or just to remind myself later :)

My prayer and thoughts for this update: 2 Corinthians 1:7-11"And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 8We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

Reminder, guilt into action, encouragement to continue: 2 Corinithians 9:6-7 "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

My mantra anytime I'm feeling empty or anxious: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Galatians 6:8-9 "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."