Wow, it's Saturday afternoon, and we're back home from Thailand (well Karen, Camille and myself anyway). We got in about 8-00 this morning, and got picked up from the airport by our precious niece Phillipa (thanks Pip) and when we got home we quickly freshened up, got dressed up, and headed off to the Art Gallery of WA to see Camille's two selected paintings being exhibited in the Year 12 Perspectives show. Bumped into my old English teacher from Merredin High School whom I haven't seen in yonks. He even sort of remembered me ... scary.
As we were driving into Perth to the exhibition, we were playing a new Hillsongs CD that Karen just bought. Track 5 really got to me. I kept hitting the replay button so that I could hear it over and over. You know how sometimes a song just grabs you and won't let go - this was one of them. As I listened to it speaking about how the Lord is my Shepherd, and how the enemy cannot touch me because I am a child of the Most High God, my spirit started to well up inside of me. I started feeling all hot, and thought at any moment I would burst into tears - not a pretty sight for a 40 something year old man with his wife and daughter sitting in the car - doing 100Kmh down the freeway. Sometimes a song just connects - Spirit to spirit - and before I know it I am overwhelmed! It's interesting that one of my favourite songs is Hillsongs' "Overwhelmed" - and every time I listen to it I get truly overwhelmed by the message it brings, and the emotions that it releases in me. I can't listen to it without tears welling up in my eyes, and a deep sense of His Holy Spirit's presence. I believe that these songs are "truly annointed" songs, and they carry an annointing that is released upon the listener. When I listen to songs like them, words of knowledge and understanding start to flow, and God speaks deeply into my heart about things that matter a lot to me (just typing this blog, I can feel the Holy Spirit rising up inside of me).
I'd only just looked over at Karen minutes before the song started, and noticed that she was crying. I didn't have to ask her what was wrong ... I sensed it in my spirit that she was grieving about being back, and leaving Thomas behind in Thailand for another 4.5 months. Immediately I felt that same grief, and was thinking about how hard it is to leave someone behind whom you deeply love and miss. And then that song started playing (God's timing is ALWAYS perfect) and He started speaking to my spirit the verse from Matthew 16: 24-25 which goes like this ... "if anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it."
I knew immediately it was a word of comfort for Karen and me, and later realised that it was a word for Thomas too. When I got home I checked my emails, and there was a prophetic bulletin update from Rick Joyner - and there on page 5 was that passage from Matthew 16: 24-25. I realised then that God was sealing that word into my heart. And strange as it may seem, that word of comfort convinced me once again that it is all worth it. I know that God has Thomas exactly where he wants him to be for now.
To worship at his new home church in Chiang Mai, to meet his "adopted mum", and to meet his church family, and to be honoured guests at a dinner held for all of us was overwhelming. I know it will be months until we see him again, but I would rather release my son into God's puropse for his life and to see our life of nurturing him "in the way that he should go" come to fulfillment in his destiny, than to be selfish and try to hold onto him.
I am so blessed to have three wonderful children who all want to "seek, serve, and follow Christ". The only thing the Boy's Brigade motto should have added to the end of it is ... "to the ends of the earth". We were destined to be a missionary family.
I am so happy that Shane was able to stay on with his bro' in Thailand for another three weeks ... just to hang out and do the things that brothers do!
The enemy cannot touch him because he is a child of the MOST HIGH GOD. The Lord is my Shepherd, and I will lack nothing. He is my rod and my staff, and He comforts me. He leads me beside still and peaceful waters. He prepares a place for me at His table.
Hallelujah! Prajow san dee (Thai for "God is good")!
Abiding in Him, hiding in Him, abandoned to Him,
Steve
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3 comments:
Dear Khun Steve,
Greetings from BAngkok, Thailand. I really was touched by your post, and this is what I'm praying to be happen to my life.I hope to see my family agree with me and release me to follow God's purpose so that I will be able to do his work for this nation. They aren't Christian though. I care them a lot and would like to be God's light for my family, but God's calling me out to serve him. I'm leaving Bangkok to spend time with them 10 days then I will move to ChiangRai to study dances. If you visit my blog sometimes, please pray for me as well. Thank you so much.
Hey ... just came across your blog from a comment you left on someone elses. Blogging makes the world seem smaller :)
Just thought Id say I love the name of your blog ... Worship really is the key to everything!!!
Hi! I came back to check your site, and I was really honored to find my blog under your list of blogs you read. I wanted to say thanks! Also, I wanted to comment about your grief in leaving your son, Thomas, behind in Thailand. I know it's been a while since you wrote that, but I know the separation never gets easier. Especially since the tsunami happened and I realized that I could've lost my family, I have missed them like never before. But there was something Amy Carmichael wrote that I have always cherished when I miss my loved ones; she wrote of how sometimes the piercing pain of separation seems too much to bear, but then she said to remember, "it is the wounded hands that part you." She went on to say that those pierced hands of Christ would rest on both of you while separated. Somehow, I think, it makes it more bearable. I appreciate your willingess to let your son impact this world for Christ...and I just wanted to encourage you, whenever you miss him, remember..."it is the Wounded Hands that part you." And have peace from that knowledge.
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