A Journey in Grace

Friday, May 12, 2023

God is the God of the past, present, and future. Nothing happens, that He doesn’t have a purpose for it. Daniel 4:35 states this. “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?” It is sometimes good to reflect on the past. The past often holds treasures and reminders of lessons learned and God’s faithfulness, encouraging one to face the future.

Today I came across something I wrote while in Austria, that I thought I would share with you. It was Eine Reise in Gnade, A Journey in Grace.

When serving overseas, furlough is a necessity for the missionary, though it is anything but easy. It means time away from the ministry in the adopted home. Time away from friends, from routine, from responsibilities. This can be very difficult indeed for you not only have to organize for the furlough itself, but also for those things you will be leaving behind. What to do with your apartment, your pet, your car, the monthly payments, etc. To be honest, I always have conflicted emotions regarding the time away. The summer of 2007 was no different yet it proved to truly be a journey in Grace.

The trip itself brought me safely to Washington State. My first destination was a few days visiting a very beloved Uncle and Aunt. As a result, I was able to see many of my relatives at the same time, some whom I hadn’t seen in years. It was a wonderful time. Shortly after I left them, my Uncle’s health declined rapidly and he passed. He had been fighting Cancer for a while. Talk about Grace! God allowed me to see him one last time before he was called to his eternal home.

There was a lot going on with my family in those four months as well: Special birthdays (40^th, 45^th, 50^th, 55^th and 75^th), a big wedding, a sister get-away (the first for all of us together in over 17 years), seeing a brother I hadn’t seen since I left for Austria (he was Mayor of North Pole… Alaska, truly), seven out of eight siblings being together for the first time in 22 years, and more. One experience after another, all the while traveling for the mission, doing ministry.

Through the ministry I spoke in churches, prayer groups, house meetings, and with individuals, sharing about the work I was doing in Austria. An important and blessed part of furlough is visiting supporters, keeping them up to date about what God is doing in Austria. Mozart, the theme I had chosen to explain many aspects of my ministry, turned out much better than I had ever thought possible. This too was God’s Grace! Special opportunities took place at different camps in Washington and New Hampshire. I worked with children and teens, experiencing again and again excitement and interest. Several even commented they wanted to work in Austria when they were old enough. One 15-year-old girl was ready to hop on the plane with me when I flew back to Austria. God’s Grace, not me!  

During that four-month period, I travelled to Washington, Idaho, New Hampshire, Virginia, Missouri, Florida and Alberta, Canada. New Hampshire, Virginia and Florida were all new to me. The children talked me into going on the zip line and I learned to jet ski. Both needed much courage, more than I thought I had, yet I ended up having the time of my life. Furthermore, my journey took me down a river on a Showboat, looking for shark teeth before dawn, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, and seeing more of this beautiful country than I had seen before.

Then too, I saw the dentist, a doctor, and a specialist regarding all my health issues. The cost was around $3000.00, only $10.00 of which came out of my pocket. The rest came from very generous givers in Washington State. The Washington State CEF® staff and directors had organized the funds before I even started furlough. Furthermore, they supplied the finances for all my trips. If that’s not Grace, then I don’t know what is. God’s Grace met me at every turn. It always does, but that trip I saw it in more tangible ways than normal.

Little did I know that would be my last furlough for Austria as I ended up leaving Austria in 2009. Nevertheless, I continue to experience His grace in amazing ways. 2 Timothy 1:9 says, “Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” He is the One who saved me when I was ten, then called me into this ministry in my 20’s. He is the One who does the work in and through me. Now that is grace!!!

A song the Europeans enjoyed hearing me sing is found in Numbers 6:24-26 which states, “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Remember we serve a very gracious God!

Look for His grace in your life today.

Blessings, Mari