A town called Smith

When I was at Bible School 10 years ago now, we had a chapel and the President of PRBI spoke.  He always had great stories as well as a different sense of humor.  He began this chapel by telling us of his family.  His father was a teacher at PRBI and they had no children when they came up north here and while they were here they had like 10 kids.  "Before my parents came up here, the town was just called Smith."

Grace Bible Fellowship has been our home church while we are living up here and it feels like home.  This is the church we were fortunate to share with this week.  I was telling Colleen earlier this week that I prayed hard that God would keep us here in Sexsmith, I even applied for a job teaching shop at the high school, but they had just hired a new shop teacher when I applied.  We are thankful each day that God has us here as it is our first home as a married couple and Sexsmith will always have a dear spot in our heart.

God really challenged me this week about His plan and His work in the world.  If you read previous posts from 2011 you will read that we were planning on going to Mozambique but we did not go, however, we raised a lot of money, and the same people that gave are giving again for us to go.

I asked God, "Why are the same people giving who gave before?  They should not be giving because they have already gave and it is counterproductive to give again."

God the asked me, "Who are they giving to?"

"Me and Colleen, of course, who else would they be giving to?"

God replied, "How about me?"

Then it clicked.  I was convicted.  The focus was on me.  People are not giving their prayers and finances for our sake, but for God's sake.  People are giving to God and therefore, it makes sense to give again because God is their focus.  So, in a few short words, you, reading this letter have been an encouragement and a rebuke to me.  You are not reading this letter because I am such an eloquent writer or explaining God's truth in an amazing way, You are reading because of God's work in your life.  You are excited by God, not me.  Thank you for all of your support and being a great example to me!