God's Faithfulness

October 2015
God’s Faithfulness 
 
“God is faithful!  Our circumstances do not dictate His character! 
I can always trust Him and know that He is in complete control of the universe… and that ultimately, all things are for His glory and my good (Romans 8:28).”  (Perry Nobel)

​Last year I wrote in a blog about an American woman that we met here in Fiji.  Patty is an interpreter for the deaf, who vacations in Fiji each year. While on vacation, she volunteers at the Sigatoka Special School, about a two hour drive from Suva.  Last year she was working with a very bright, deaf preschooler, whom she felt would benefit from being in a school for the deaf.  She had heard about our school, and made the long trip to Suva by bus, to visit.  Later, she brought Mereadani’s mom to visit.  She liked the school very much. Out of love for her daughter, Mereadani’s mom made the difficult decision and huge sacrifice, to give her daughter into our care, so that she could receive an education. Mereadani now lives in our hostel, has lots of new friends, and loves her new school very much! 

​Sadly, Maredani’s father passed away this past weekend.  He had asthma, and was hospitalized for fluid in his lungs.  Shortly after being released from the hospital, he passed away. Mereadani and her father were very close; such a difficult thing for any five year old child to bear!  We ask why?  Yet we trust in God’s faithfulness, to bring peace and comfort to this family,  during the difficult days ahead.  Please keep them in your prayers.
 
I emailed Patty, now back in the states, to inform her, since she knows the family well.
 
The rest of the story is that we have been going through some very difficult times here ourselves, with various problems, and financial concerns.  Just last night, we were praying about where money would come from to get us through the next two weeks, when the regular donations were scheduled to come in.  It was an exercise in trusting God, and trying not to worry.
 
The next morning, after sending my email to Patty, an answer came.  Patty sent along her condolences for Mereadani’s family, and then added at the end of her email that she had recently received a donation for our school, from the International Lutheran Deaf Association, for $5000.  In Fijian dollars, that figure doubles!  The money should be arriving in the next couple of days.
 
As always, God is faithful in supplying every need---- “abundantly above all we could ask or imagine!”  Ephesians 3:20.  Some needs are financial and practical; others are emotional, and often painful to bear.  But it’s in those difficult times that we often experience God’s love and faithfulness the most; sometimes we have to get to the end of our own resources, in order to learn trust.  As a mentor once said to me, “Prayer is not so much about God changing our circumstances, but rather, God changing US, in the midst of our circumstances.”  
 
As the old hymn goes, “Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God My Father!”
May we all experience His faithfulness, no matter what our circumstances.