Sovereign in All Things

After you’ve been out of the country for almost a year, it’s amazing how quickly you lose touch with the latest movies and songs in the U.S.   Chris Tomlin is one of our favorite singers, and we didn’t realize he’d put out a new album until Nafisa saw someone post a link to one of the songs on Facebook.  Compliments of YouTube, we now can listen to it.  We especially like the song “Sovereign.”  We know and trust in God’s complete sovereignty in all things, but sometimes, it’s necessary and refreshing to have a reminder that our Lord is sovereign in all things – not just the good things.  Sometimes, it’s important to be reminded that he’s also sovereign over the difficult things and the hard things.

 We were studying the story of Esther with the kiddos; what a great picture of God’s complete sovereignty!  Imagine getting the news – an official edict from your country’s ruler – a notice of your imminent murder, and not just your’s, but the complete annihilation of your people.  They seemed doomed.  The situation seemed hopeless, but they didn't lose hope.  They trusted.  They fasted, and they prayed.  And God delivered in the most unusual of ways – through a Jewish girl that became queen. 

Even during the difficult times, we can rest in the hope that nothing that happens to us surprises God.  He allows it all for our good and his glory. As many of you know, we have had a rough few weeks as far as illness and injury – chicken pox, parasites, stitches, and most recently, Trevor had to have a minor procedure.  We should get partial ownership in the private hospital here!  But we rest in the knowledge that none of this came as a surprise to our Lord – we’re in the process of developing perseverance!  But please continue to pray for our health and safety as we finish out our year here in language school and prepare to move to Ecuador. 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1:2-4 

A Refuge and Shelter

It has been a rough couple of weeks for the Morris children, but we are constantly reminded of God’s protection and presence in our lives in the midst of difficulties.  Both boys had a stomach virus the same day (but it hit Cole far worse than Lane.)  Luckily, Cana escaped getting sick but did her share of getting into things while Nafisa was busy tending to the boys and Trevor was at school.  They fortunately recovered quickly.  A few days later, the boys were playing and little Lane fell and hit his head on the wall.  It made a small cut in his head that bled quite a bit!  Luckily, it was just a small cut, so we decided to just keep an eye on it.  It is healing well on its own.  The next day, less than an hour after starting his first class, Trevor got a call that Cole was not feeling well.  By the time he arrived, Cole had already gotten sick to his stomach.  Fortunately, it was short-lived and he never got sick again.  Instead, he enjoyed the day off with Cana and Lane.

However, the following day, (this past Tuesday), we had taken all the kiddos and the dog to the park.  They were having a good time, and we were preparing to leave when Cole tripped while running.  He landed face-first on the metal handlebar of a seesaw.  Many stitches (internal and external) later, he is doing alright.  The plastic surgeon that was called in to sew him up told Trevor that the gash in his forehead and nose went all the way to his skull.  We hate that this happened, but I am amazed by how many circumstances fell into place that only the Lord could arrange.  We happened to be together so that one of us could stay with Cole and the other could take the rest of the kiddos home.  We happened to be at the park across the street from a friend’s house who happened to have a car (most of our friends, like us, do not) and who happened to be home and able to drive Cole and Trevor to the emergency room.  (Here in Costa Rica, it would have taken about 30 minutes to get an ambulance there…if it actually showed up.)  When Trevor realized that he didn’t have his wallet with him, we had another friend who was able to take it to him and go back to pick them both up when Cole was finished getting stitched up.  Our family doctor here happened to be leaving the hospital at the same time, so our friend that drove the guys to the hospital was able to stop him.  He consulted with the E.R. doctor and they decided to call in the specialist.  And finally, it’s no small blessing that if Cole had fallen just slightly differently, he would have lost an eye.  We are also thankful for social media that allowed us to quickly convey to our friends and family what happened so they could be praying for Cole.  In this whole ordeal, our kiddos (and us!) have been able to see another awesome example of the power of prayer. 

In light of times like these, we are reminded that God is indeed our refuge and help in times of trouble.  Praise the Lord!

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  Psalms 91:2