From hopeless to happiness in a year!

Have you ever felt that your life had no hope? That all joy and happiness had been snatched away and that everything you worked for was thrown to the curb?  In the midst of life you find yourself questioning everything going on and the words that were spoken to you aren't true seem to drowned out everything that is true?  Well, yesterday the 8th of April, Julie and I reflected over the past year.  Wow, what a time of reflection.

We were told a year ago a number of perceptions that were not true.  That day rang out in my heart then with a ton of hurt and emotions that were painful and almost devastating.  The words that were said caused both of us to reflect on the pain as well as cause us to run fully into the arms of a Heavenly Father that only speaks truth.  And when He speaks hard truth, it is totally surrounded and couched in love.  Perfect, eternal and completely unconditional love.

During the course of the year, we experienced many ups and downs.  We felt isolation, abandonment, disillusionment and betrayal.  With the help of the Lord as we questioned and wondered what was up we found ourselves finding confidence in Him and not in man.  We would find ourselves on our knees and in the Word and being strengthened by Him.  As scripture say, in our weakness, He makes us strong.

We found ourselves being cared for and loved on by some wonderful missionaries that had been in almost identical situations through the course of their year in ministry.    Their care through the course of the year was so beneficial and helpful that we were finding ourselves renewed, restored and refreshed.

Then, we began to find the Lord directing us to a new ministry and the opportunity to experience a rebirth of the passion and desires that the Lord had given us.  With the gifts and toolset that the Lord has blessed us with, He was going to use it again to His Glory.  We knew that He was rebuilding in our lives what had been taken away.  We had gone from hopelessness and despair to happiness and delight in Him.

Yesterday, walking hand in hand down the cobble stone streets of Kusel, Germany, we knew we were right where God wants us.  We have been experiencing a real since of peace as well as fulfillment in our ministry He has brought us too!  Who would ever have thought a year ago we would be in Germany working in the lives of our US military students here in Baumholder.  God is definitely using us and what a joy it has been.

Some very impactful words were given to us by a dear friend a year ago that have become our focus in life and ministry.  "Broken people minister to Broken People!"  That is so true and it is a joy that we are being able to put it into practice, because there are many broken people here.