In the Shadow of Thy Wings

“O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly;
My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
For Thou hast been my help,
And in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.” (Psalm 63: 2, 7)
 
It’s with joy that I begin the new year with praises to my God, my Savior, and my ever-present Friend.  For 63 years He has extended His grace, showered His mercy, lavished His love, poured-out His goodness, shared His joy, and enveloped me with His peace.  It’s with eager anticipation that I await my promotion into His heavenly kingdom where I will humbly bow before my Lord and King and begin my new, exciting, undeserved, glory-filled life for eternity!
 
For now, I was blessed to enjoy a few days of Christmas celebration with my youngins.  On our 3^rd day together we learned that one of Hannah’s co-workers tested positive for the China Virus.  Hannah began to feel ill and the next day she tested positive.  Since then, Daniel and Sara have tested positive with Martha not feeling well.  But they are all taking over-the-counter medications and are slowly improving.  The rest of us are self-quarantining and seem to be doing fine. Hannah and Daniel promised to return on her birthday, Feb. 6, to make up for the days we lost due to the Virus.
 
My PET scan a couple of weeks ago showed that my cancer continues to grow.  Two adjacent tumors around my pancreas have united into one large one measuring 4 x 8.5 cm., a sizable little feller.  Two smaller areas have also increased in size.  But so far, no significant symptoms.  However, I know that will change at some point.  Fortunately, I’ve finished all my family projects, made my funeral and burial arrangements, distributed nearly all my belongings, and gained a lot of extra weight in case I need it!
 
"A man’s days are determined, the number of his months is with You;
And You have set his limits so that he cannot pass."  (Job 14:5)
 
Three weeks ago I was privileged to share my testimony again, this time at First Baptist Church of Azle  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK0h2D0ha0c&t=112s&ab_channel=smfimiki where the pastor’s wife, Cherry Sipe – a Filipina from Iloilo, helps manage our www.blessings.ph ministry.  December marked my 35^th year with the IMB.  I continue to receive positive reports from our churches in Western Visayas where even a pandemic cannot stop God’s kingdom from growing.
 
So, how have you been?  If you have survived the year with a smile still on your face, then you are to be commended.  Even though the challenges have been numerous, may I ask in what ways have the difficulties of the past 12 months grown your relationship with God?  The Bible says, “count it all joy when you encounter various trials…” (James 1:2) and “we rejoice in our adversity, knowing that such difficulties produces a perseverance that leads to character growth…” (Romans 5:3-4).  In what ways has the past year motivated you to develop compassion, contentment, flexibility, generosity, gratefulness, patience, faith, joyfulness, resourcefulness, self-control, sensitivity, and many more?  Any difficulty, no matter how severe, can be beneficial, even victorious, when we emerge from it with strengthened character and a greater love for our Lord, Jesus Christ.