forty days

If I counted correctly, that is.

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom," said King David. (Psalm 90:12)

I'm slated to move to the antipodes of where I am now in about 40 days. And while I have always lived my life knowing what was going to happen two steps ahead, I have to say that the details of the coming adventure are still up in the air, and that this is the most uncertainty I have faced in my young life. Despite this unsurety, I am confident that this great leap into the unknown, regardless of what it holds for me, is exactly what I am supposed to do.

Forty more days to savor the moments with family and friends so precious to me. Forty days to prepare physically, spiritually, and emotionally for a year in Indonesia. My immediate response is the latter of fight or flight when I think about our circumstances. But despite the brevity of my time remaining in Ann Arbor and the United States, I know that a lot can happen in forty days...

Noah experienced a deluge of rain for forty days and forty nights, in which the earth as he knew it and the populace, excluding his family, was destroyed. And subsequently, when the earth had dried, God established His covenant to never destroy the earth by flood again - and gave a rainbow as a sign of this promise. Moses experienced solace on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights with the God who was so holy that no one could see Him and live - so holy that His name was inutterable, and written only as "YHWH" - and descended with his face radiant from having been in the presence of God.

Jesus spent forty days and forty nights fasting in the wilderness, and was tempted by the devil by things like food and the kingdoms of this world. And the best part about that was, though He was tempted, He knew no sin and did not succumb to the desires of the flesh - He overcame for the joy set before Him, and that was you and me!

Airplane ticket for there and back again, a visa for a year (apparently, you have to be 23 years old to get a working visa in Indonesia. Incidentally, I claim that many years!), housing, leaving my family behind, surrendering my physical security and safety, and surrendering the consequences of my imperfect obedience to follow Christ to the ends of the earth to my Heavenly Father who knows that I have need of grace for all of the things aforementioned...it's a lot to think about.

But not too much for Him who has overcome the world!

And, if you are reading my thoughts, I promise to update more regularly once we get to Indonesia!