By the grace of God.

So I made it home to Georgia in one piece, by the grace of God. I say by His grace because it was the most suffering full trip I have experienced apart from my first trip to Boston back in 2005, but an explanation of why that is will have to wait for another time and for more vulnerability on my part.


I arrived home and knocked on the door for 20 minutes before finding an open door to come through. Mom was vacuuming and didn't hear me. I helped her organize her house some which has been a wreck since the construction workers just finished, and then my sister called b/c my brother in law seemed to be having a heart attack. I say it nonchalantly now b/c he ended up (by the grace of God again) to be ok. It wasn't a heart attack, but he thought it was, and my sister was beyond consolation. An ambulance came and we picked up Franklin. Long story short, I went to bed at 2:30 after being up 22.5 hours, but everyone went to sleep safe which is most important :).

This morning I awoke and spent time with God. My first inclination was to pray for my own strength, honesty, humility, servanthood, etc so that I could serve and help my family today, but then I recalled my Thanksgiving visit and what I learned. So, I spent time praying for each family member and for their strength, repentance, etc. It was a powerful time. I know that healthy relationships only come through God's transformations of people. I've seen God transform people from the Chinatown community, and I know HE could transform my family. I pray He will.

So I'm approaching the day asking for honest, repentance, and integrity for myself AND each family member. I'm also approaching it with a high respect for God in the sense that we humans are so fragile. Our bodies are so sick and frail and dying with every second. Our inner core (emotions, mind, thoughts, will) is deceitful above all else as the bible says: 'the heart is deceitful above all things.' And God, God willingly took upon Himself flesh. He became a little baby and went through so much of the normal pain and suffering of just average existence not counting His persecution and death. He became flesh for me and my family, and for you and yours. I don't know why He'd do that to Himself outside of His great love and mercy. Isn't that why He created us? To display Himself? He most certainly does, and in heaven one day I'll understand more His attributes.

I've seen the power of God through a glass dimly here on this earth. I know through this glass dimly what He can do, and I am trusting that He will. I give you this day Lord Jesus. It is yours. I want to honor and glorify You. Help me. Help my family. And thank you for being the God of all the universe. I cannot comprehend you, but I praise you with the most that I can.