The Death of a Dream; The Birth of Something New & Unknown

God is moving us on from Turkey for reasons we still don't understand yet.  I've been mourning all the good things God has brought into my life here.  Good friends, nice house, cool culture, good food, affordable market shopping, friendly locals...  the list goes on and on.  Through this experience here I have grown in my faith and I'm learning to trust God even when I thought His plan was for something else in our life.  We wanted to travel and see the world.  To share the beauty of other cultures with our children.  To go on an adventure.  That was our plan.  His plan is not always our plan and He will turn our world upside down so that we focus on Him more and grow.  We have nothing left but our Lord and now we have to see where He decides to take us.  When we started this journey we told Him we would follow Him anywhere.  Wherever He leads.  He has closed the door here and it was totally out of our control.  God used some of the people here and their attitudes to change the course of our future.  No matter what we tried to do or others did to intervene, God's plan has changed our plans.  We can not see our future, but we know He has a plan.  We continue to trust and obey.  "When God closes one door, He opens a window."

As I've been reading scripture and reflecting, God has shown me remarkable similarities of our situation to Joseph's and David's struggles.  What happened to them was unfair and out of their control.  God used other people's attitudes and behavior to bring about His plan.  They continued to praise Him even in their struggles.  They continued to honor Him even when their lives were spinning out of control and they had nothing to do with the situations they faced.

I have never been more impressed with any man in my life than I am with my husband.  He is a man who honors and trusts God even in this situation.  He has been an example to me.  He is the love of my life and a blessing beyond blessings.  The people here are losing an awesome teacher and a man worth keeping.  His heart is a heart of gold.  Praise be to God that I have the honor to share my life with him.  Thank you, Lord.  He is a gift.