Oh for grace to trust Him more...

I love this picture...

It was taken during our six week adoption stretch in Ukraine.  This little one was 7 years old in the picture.  Can you believe that we will celebrate four years home this May?!.  Most days I feel like she and all her siblings have always been with us.  Other days I wonder, "where did you come from?!."  Ha ha ha...  We have our ups and downs...  We take one step forward and two steps back...  

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus

Just to take Him at His Word

Just to rest upon His promise

And to know, "Thus saith the Lord!"

Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him!

How I've proved Him o'er and o'er;

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

Oh for grace to trust Him more!

Oh, how sweet to trust in jesus,

Just to trust His cleansing blood;

And in simple faith to plunge me

'Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just from sin and self to cease;

Just from Jesus simply taking

Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I'm so glad I learned to trust Thee,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

And I know that Thou art with me,

Wilt be with me to the end.

(Louisa M. R. Stead)

The Lord has been at work in the heart and mind of this sweet daughter of mine.  Her teacher called me to share about the significant progress she has made just this quarter.  The first half of the year has been like the previous three years in many ways, trudging along rather begrudgingly.   However, this quarter, to summarize a much more exciting and descriptive conversation, her teacher said, "She has become a learner!"  Even as I type those words the tears roll down my cheeks.  Praise the Lord for His grace and work! Later, her teacher found me in the library where I volunteer, to share test score results.  "She went from a 33 first quarter, to a 53 second quarter, to an 85 third quarter!"  And then she hugged me! Joy.  Tears of joy.

As we prepare for the conclusion of our Ephesians study at Imago Dei Church, I've been reminded even more of the reality of our spiritual warfare.  Within these same 72 hours of celebrating my daughter's progress and the grace of God, the enemy was seeking (and no doubt continues to) ways to steal, kill and destroy...

There is a student in my daughter's class who was having a bad day (which unfortunately is common and a testimony to the brokenness of their own home life).  As this student was being sent out of the classroom to the office and home for the day, this student made a pit stop by my daughter on their way out.  Pulling her aside, they whispered in her ear these words...

"You don't belong here."

Then the student walked away. 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do  not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places..." Ephesians 6:10-12

 My daughter's teacher intervened and said she shrugged her shoulders in confusion but as one who took it, as they say, "with a grain of salt."  We talked about it later at home and my daughter responded with sadness towards this student and expressed a desire to pray for them.

The Lord is at work in her heart and mind and I praise Him for it!  A couple months ago, my daughter shared her testimony with me.  Here is the nutshell:

"I was laying in my bed listening on my ipod to Chris Tomlin's Made to Worship.  I started to cry as I began to understand that the longing in my heart could only be satisfied by Jesus.  Jesus lived the life I couldn't live and died the death I should have died.  I am poor and powerless.  I asked Jesus to save me and change me..."

Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him!

How I've proved Him o'er and o'er;

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

Oh for grace to trust Him more!