A Vision of the Future

Sometimes I can see the future.

Now I know what you are thinking...  is Emily claiming to be psychic or something?  Does she have some kind of mystical power that I have been unaware of for all these years?  (Ok maybe you weren't actually thinking that...)

What I mean is this...  sometimes, when God gives me a task or an idea, I can see it being played out in my head before it happens.  In my 15+ years of youth ministry, there have been lots of events, studies, camps, retreats, and youth meetings that have required advanced planning.  Many times, in those planning meetings or on the rides home or while daydreaming in the days leading up to it, I have been able to visualize the ideas that God has given us and it is the coolest thing!

I'm sure that many of you have experienced similar things in your lives too.  I remember when we were planning our wedding, I imagined what that day would be like over and over again in my mind... and when we were building our house, I could see our kids sleeping in their rooms and our family eating dinner around the table, before the first piece of furniture was brought in and set up.

God is a God of past, present and future.  He is the Beginning and the End.  He knows everything that has happened, is happening and will happen.  Sometimes that is so hard for us to understand... because we are bound by time we can't fathom life outside of it.  The beautiful thing about God is that He is beyond time- outside of the boundaries of it- and HE knows the end even before it happens. 

As we walk through this life... although WE may not be able to actually see all that is in our future, I believe God does give us glimpses into it... 

Lately... we have been seeing ourselves in Haiti... a lot.

Now that we have reached 90% in our funding (and then some!), this dream... vision... calling that God has given us is becoming a VISUAL reality.  We can see it more clearly everyday.  We know that God has been preparing our hearts and our minds for this... but to be able to actually SEE ourselves...


driving the streets of Haiti...

settling in to our new home...

attending church services...

... being able to visualize ourselves there NOW is VERY exciting!  And it is truly a gift from God!

I am so grateful for those moments throughout the day where God gives me a glimpse... it is continual confirmation that we are moving in the right direction, and that we are following His lead.  When things seem overwhelming, when life gets hectic, when transition feels difficult, the "visions of Haiti dancing in my head" are peace for me...

So now, I hope you understand what I mean when I say that I can see the future.  Even though there will be many bumps, bends, and unforeseen things on this road ahead of us-  I know and can clearly see that God is Faithful... 

Not only does He give us visual pictures of the future now... In His Word, He gives us glimpses of this truth and promises for our future too (through the lives and experiences of others and through the words of Jesus and Paul and others). No matter what we may face....  He will never leave us nor forsake us.

What a beautiful promise for us as we walk this life each day!

He is giving us, and has given us, a vision of the future... we can see our call more clearly each day.

And that is why we go...

2Haiti4Him.