I'm headed to Thailand on Friday and if you've never been to Thailand, you can watch about 37 full length feature films in flight before you land. That's how far away it is. I once asked the Delta agent who I was on the phone with to look at a map and stick one thumb-pin in Atlanta and another thumb-pin in Bangkok and see how far away it is. It's far. That's how long I traveled on Delta without being given any miles.
Right now, Thailand is dealing with pretty severe flooding. I look at this as an ideal opportunity to wear really cute rain boots. There's also a good chance this trip will introduce me to the power combo of iodine tablets and crystal light. Most importantly, I have all of Gilmore Girls, Season 1 queued up on the old iPad. Priorities, you know.
In all seriousness, please do keep the people of Thailand and this trip in your prayers. CNN reports that nearly 400 people have died from the floods and 113,000 people have needed to find refuge (these numbers are for the entire country). Stress levels are quite high in Bangkok simply because people have been waiting day by day wondering if the floods will hit them and how high the water will rise. I have spent this week working many, many long hours and the trip could still be cancelled tomorrow for safety reasons. It's funny how tomorrow is always uncertain because it's the future, and yet when a crisis hits, we are suddenly questioning every decision because we don't know the future, which we never would have known anyways!
This week has been a time for me to put faith into action. There is a way to face uncertainty tomorrow and still not worry about it today. It's doing everything I can in this now and not worrying about the next now. God has it. Matthew did a fine job of recording what Jesus said about worry. It's basically this: keep living. Work. Do the very best you have with the information you have. Sow and reap. But once you have done all that you can do in the now that you have some control over, then stop. Say "God loves me more than the birds." And settle in on the fact that God so deeply loves you that you can trust Him to be in control of the next now that you have no control over. You don't have to worry because you are trusting in the only One who can do anything about the future. And you are on His mind. Always. He loves you.
In all seriousness, please do keep the people of Thailand and this trip in your prayers. CNN reports that nearly 400 people have died from the floods and 113,000 people have needed to find refuge (these numbers are for the entire country). Stress levels are quite high in Bangkok simply because people have been waiting day by day wondering if the floods will hit them and how high the water will rise. I have spent this week working many, many long hours and the trip could still be cancelled tomorrow for safety reasons. It's funny how tomorrow is always uncertain because it's the future, and yet when a crisis hits, we are suddenly questioning every decision because we don't know the future, which we never would have known anyways!
This week has been a time for me to put faith into action. There is a way to face uncertainty tomorrow and still not worry about it today. It's doing everything I can in this now and not worrying about the next now. God has it. Matthew did a fine job of recording what Jesus said about worry. It's basically this: keep living. Work. Do the very best you have with the information you have. Sow and reap. But once you have done all that you can do in the now that you have some control over, then stop. Say "God loves me more than the birds." And settle in on the fact that God so deeply loves you that you can trust Him to be in control of the next now that you have no control over. You don't have to worry because you are trusting in the only One who can do anything about the future. And you are on His mind. Always. He loves you.
3 comments:
I'm praying Isiah 43:2 for you!!! I have some Minnie Mouse water wings for you if you need some!
See you there
love it. thanks for this. and have fun in thailand! maybe we can actually have a skype date when you get back and your load is a little lighter??
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