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Dear Family and Friends,
Every year the missionary community gets together for a traditional American Thanksgiving meal the Sunday evening before Thanksgiving. We eat this wonderful meal and then enjoy a sharing time together. It has been my tradition to reflect on the previous year at this time and write about something I have been thankful for. I will then share these reflections during our Thanksgiving celebration.
This year, I am certain that God wrote the reflection for me. I just started to write some things down on paper and there were times when I was in the car or just going about my day, and these phrases would come to mind. When the poem was finished, I read it and then cried and cried - which is something that is unusual for me as I do not cry like that very easily. I know that through the writing of this poem, God was further cleansing and healing me.
Our journey over the past few years has led us to hard places. However, we are now beginning to see the beauty God is cultivating in all of us. I continue to be amazed by His goodness; His care for us; and for the way that He makes all things beautiful in His time. Please thank Him and praise Him with us for being our Healer as you read the words that God gave to me to share this year.
The Healer
I've never known a valley
Like the one you've just led us through
I've never known pain quite like that
It was all so unfamiliar, so new
There were many times I cried out
And it seemed that no one heard
I wondered where you were
Because you didn't say a word
I would wake up every day
Putting one foot in front of the other
Determined in that one day
To be a great wife and mother
Yet each day was filled with so much intensity
It was more than all of us could take
Dan and I would often ask each other
"Do you think that we will break?
And we, in fact, did break
Under the weight of so much stress
I remember at one point looking at myself
And thinking, "My, what a mess!"
I am now able to see more clearly
Recognizing that You were there with us
Loving, preparing, comforting, shaping
And listening to me fuss.
Lately, you have been reminding me
That being broken over and over again
Is your way of healing us
Your way of recreating new women and new men
You break us to heal us
You work all things together for our good.
You break us to heal us
Doing exceedingly abundantly more than we thought you could
You break us to heal us
Completing the good work that you start
You break us to heal us
While teaching us how to guard our minds and guard our hearts
All this breaking and healing helps us
To view life thru an eternal lens
We start to remember that there is more to life
Than the problems this life sends
This "more" is not a possession
Nor is it even really a place
This "more" is Christ Jesus, Our Lord
Who is full of love, joy, peace, and grace
Tonight, I thank Him for being our Healer
Who works with purpose and in-ten-TION
And to ask Him to keep breaking us and healing us
Not our will, dear Lord, but Yours be done.
Thank you for being a part of our story through your prayers, encouragement, and financial support. We are so thankful to have your company on this journey.
Peace to you,
Lisa (Dan, Rebekah, Will, and Daniel) Van Zoest
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