The Gift of Silence

Each of us have a gift, a certain something that we can use and pass on. A gift for the Church, a blessing for the Body of Christ. Last weekend we enjoyed the gift of silence. It's a gift from someone we've never met, a couple who has built and furnished a beautiful cabin on the lake and welcomes many people in ministry to use it. Everything we need is there. It is beautiful. And we get to simply enjoy it. Quite the gift!

One of the great things about this cabin is the lack of connectivity to the internet, cell service, and other forms of communication. It is quiet. The silence has given us time to pray and ponder in a new way. It has cleared space to read the Bible more slowly. It has refocused our minds and our hearts. It has refreshed our spirits. And we find that in the silence we have found renewed energy and focus for the weeks ahead, weeks that promise good busyness and great opportunities.

We've also enjoyed time spent talking about life and calling, cooking together, and dreaming of what God has in the future. We've talked about summer plans and firmed up some options. We've written a few notes and finished some data entry. We've read some great stories and found new hope. It's been amazing. All because someone had it in their heart to gift their resources to bless us.

Apart from this weekend, life has been moving ahead, God has been at work. As graduation draws near we're enjoying opportunities to connect with students at various places. Last week we attended the Spokane Leadership Prayer Breakfast, always a great opportunity to hear what God is doing and to meet new people. Garry has been deep into research lately, and next steps for the Safety Program are becoming clear. Kevin heads to China in just 2 weeks, and Kaleb graduates and turns 18 in just a month.

We're making plans to visit Manitoba this summer, spend a week at camp, join a mission aviation audit in Ohio, and connect with friends and family.... more about that next time!