Hello all! Well, February is drawing to a close, and the four month anniversary of arriving in Marseille is coming up. Wow! Four months! It has not been an easy four months, that's for sure! While God is good, and has been with me through all of this, it has not been an easy road to travel.
Over the past few months I have seen myself growing in many ways. But all this growth has not come without growing pains. Many days I have struggle with culture shock, homesickness, or just plain sadness. But man has God been SO faithful! God has given us so many promises, but one of the promises that I keep remembering is the one in Joshua 1:5 "Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you." This is the promise I remember when everything seems too overwhelming. Sometimes life can just be too much, there's too much going on, or you can't speak French the way you want to no matter how hard you try, or you miss people. But God is enough, more than enough, to help you through that. He knows we need time to experience these emotions, but not wallow in them, not dwell on them. He brings peace and comfort when we need it, all we need to do is ask. God is always with us, and always ready to help us when we ask Him to.
There have also been moments of doubt, when I wonder why I am even here, but God always reminds me that He has me here for a reason. He did not make a way for me to come here for no reason, He has a plan and a purpose for my time here. It's during these times that He reminds me of that oh so famous Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Sometimes I need a reminder of this, that God has plans in store for my time here, and while I might not be seeing them right now, He will reveal them to me in HIS timing, not mine. God has brought me here, for such a time as this, and I need to cling to that promise.
The reason I am sharing these things is because I want you to know, that while I have seen much growth, and shared some of the lighter aspects of being here, not everything is perfect! And I most definitely am not perfect! I have my moments where I question God, when I get frustrated and fed up with how I'm acting, or not being able to see what's going on, or not being able to understand the language. God is so gracious, and forgiving though! Even in all of this, He uses me in ways that I can't even see. I want you to know that you don't have to be perfect. Yes, we should strive to be holy, and live a life pleasing to God, but we should not berate ourselves when we mess up. We're human, and God knows that, but guess what? He loves us anyway! I know when I mess up I have to repent before Him, I have to admit that I messed up, but it's a chance to learn, to grow, to not make the same exact mistakes time and time again. I encourage you to not let your own mess ups, or frustrations get in the way of your relationship with God. Go to Him, repent, or ask for peace, take the situation and grow from it instead of wallowing in it. Trust me, as I'm writing this I'm talking to myself too, sometimes we just need to be reminded of how we should react in these situations. Love you all!
Blessings and Love,
Chrissy
