#33: Great Is Thy Faithfulness:

In 2000, when I was on deputation to go to Kenya as a missionary, I had accumulated several medical bills due to an insurance problem. As any missionary would completely understand, trying to raise money and pay bills at the same time is a very difficult endeavor. On my way home from talking to one of the doctors about a bill, I had become very discouraged. As I was driving home I hadn't even noticed that the radio was on or what was playing, but these words jumped out at me:

All I have needed,

Thy hand hath provided,

Great is thy faithfulness.

Lord unto me!

As those words came over the radio, I had to pull the car off to the side of the roadbecause I could not see through the tears. From that time on Great Is Thy Faithfulness has remained my favorite hymn, and a great reminder to trust God. He is faithful, and I thank Him every morning for a new day and the new opportunities that it holds.

Today I had the great opportunity of Skyping with my brother Doug and his wife Donna who are missionaries in Kenya. I also had the opportunity of Skyping with another missionary friend in Kenya. I'm really not quite sure how missionaries like David Livingstone were able to manage without modern technology like Skype and the internet. :)  I am so thankful that I was able to talk with these people today.  It was a real encouragement to talk to them and to hear what's going on back “home”. Kenya will always be “home” for me as it will always have a special place in my heart.

I made the comment during one of those conversations that if I were to write about all of the times God has stepped in on this journey with brain cancer and intervened on my behalf and blessed me in ways I could not have even imagined, it would take an entire book to contain them all, certainly not something that would fit on a blog. I will just leave it at this:

great is His faithfulness!

Radiation begins on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to getting it over with, so that we can move on to the next step whatever that may be. In the meantime, the next step continues to be getting stronger, continuing on with the chemotherapy and continuing to strive toward improving my mobility.

Thank you for your continued prayers, words of encouragement, and support.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:23)

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

[Refrain]
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

[Refrain]

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!