Last January at Bible study we sat down and wrote letters to God. Prayers that were on our hearts of what we wanted to see Him do in our lives or how we wanted to grow throughout the year. Right in the middle of writing our letters, the power went out. It was a cloudy day, and our solar panels ran out of electricity, so we finished by flashlight and cell phone light. I started to write mine and I remember being so frustrated with the Lord that night, sitting in the dark, that I didn’t even finish it. That was a pretty good indicator of where my heart was during that time—easily stressed, often frustrated and a little burnt out. We signed our names, folded them up, put them in a drawer and said that a year from now we would get them out again.
To be completely honest, I forgot all about those letters. 2021 came and went. In my 8 years of living in Haiti, it was one of the craziest to date. There were a lot of difficulties countrywide (to put it mildly)—the kidnappings, the assassination, the shortages—and then there were some that hit closer to home for our community—the 6 months we went without government electricity, the boat that sank with many passengers from a neighboring community, sickness or loved ones that passed away.
Looking back, it was a heavy year but at Bible Study the other night as we dug out those old letters, it was evident that the Lord was always there in the midst of it all. We took a moment to read over what we had written a year ago and the floor was open to anyone who wanted to share. It was incredible to see how prayer after prayer had been answered. Prayers of provision for school, for health, for a baby, for growing closer to Him—God was there for each and every one of us. Matthew even prayed about The CAMP’s electricity problems in his letter, and yes, sitting there in the light even that one was answered too.
It was such a reminder of how He cares deeply for each and every one of us. In the middle of the mess sometimes it’s easy to think that God has forgotten us. I can be so blinded by the unanswered prayers or things that have yet to change that I can let it take away from all that God HAS done or what He has promised to do. These moments of being still before the Lord, taking time to write or reflect has really helped me see all of the abundance in my life and a million tiny miracles He has orchestrated over the years that have happened along the way. We wrote our new letters that night to open a year from now. I know once again I will probably forget what I wrote until we open them again, but I’m thankful for a God who continually knows the desires of my heart.
If you’ve read this far, I encourage to grab a pen and piece of paper—take a few minutes and write your own letter. How do you want to see God move in 2022? What areas do you want to grow in? What prayers are continually on your mind?
Who’s to say what this year has in store-- I’m sure we’ll all have a few surprises, twists and turns along the road, but may we walk forward with open hearts and deep faith that God is going to move and grow us in unexpected ways.
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