When I’m completely honest with myself, I’m
paralyzed at the thought of writing a blog post. What do I have to say that
will encourage and uplift others? What will give others an accurate glimpse
into the life of the Arndts? How can I glorify God through my writing? Whoa. That’s
so much pressure! I have always loved the idea of writing, but I have rarely
felt that my writing accurately expressed my thoughts...or at least in a way I
wish it could. That brings me to the term and subject of surrender. Surrender
is defined as “to give up or hand over” and I’ll begin with saying that writing
this blog is a very, painfully small version of surrendering. I’m trusting God
that maybe someone needs to read this post and that ultimately it will bring
some glory to Him and some encouragement to someone else.
As many of you know, I’m officially finished
with my master’s degree! I graduated on May 9th with an M.S. in
Counseling and Human Development. In a western sense, my hope was to use it in
a school counseling setting, but as I’ve predicted and felt called to for years
now, God had it planned that I was going to use this degree in a nontraditional
sense at least for the time being. That also terrifies me! Thankfully, I’m
encouraged, resting in the fact that the Maker of Heaven and Earth wastes
nothing and goes behind and before me.
So we shall see! Now that I have a bit more time, I hope to contribute
more to our blog!
As I’ve looked back and reflected with God
lately, I stand in awe of the grace and love that He has shown us in the
Radford and Blacksburg communities. Upon moving to Radford, we got involved
with a small group consisting of newly married couples, and just as God and his
incredible timing would have it, all of our new friends were all here for the
same two-year season. Now, he has called the majority of our group to other
things—graduate school, a residency, and teaching overseas just to name a few
routes we’re all taking. I feel honored to have walked with these couples and
to have been a small part of their stories. I will always treasure these years
and look back on this time of life as incredibly special. Coupled with that, we
made great friends with our neighbors (and fellow students in my grad program),
and I have had a fabulous core group of friends that walked the journey of graduate
school with me. I feel thankful.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about seasons and
our upcoming transition and how it is similar to the way that dawn changes to
dusk. The transition comes slowly, but beautifully. For me, singing and music
has always been a central piece to the way I worship. There’s something about
singing a hymn that’s been sung for hundreds of years or singing in a large
group of voices that moves me, many times, to tears. We’re all singing to the
One who wants to know us and who loves us fiercely at our best and also just as
fiercely at our very worst.
As graduate school came to an end, and as I
finished my final class, I remember a giant wave of fear suddenly struck when I
walked away from my final course. I felt like life had come to a screeching
halt and I stood there, tears welling up, thinking, “Oh my gosh. Now that I’ve
finished, there are so many unknowns ahead.” I was immediately, but briefly,
panicked by the unknowns concerning my life for the next three years. It
comforts me to know that He is above all, through all, and in all and He
already knows that the pressures and stresses of the world will be too much for
me to face alone. That’s when I remember, “Cast all your anxiety, your worries,
your fears, your insecurities on me.” That’s really not said as a suggestion.
It is clear that we need him and will always need him to pull us close and to take
us back into his arms.
So. This term: surrender. I’m not very good
at it. Really, at all. I guess most people aren’t. PRAISE GOD that I don’t have
to carry the weight of this world alone! God longs to take care of me and show
me the goodness that is found in him and in the people that are around me. I
praise God for the faces of joy and light that encourage me to leap forward
into his arms and urge me to follow when God nudges at my many times
untrusting, and often unwilling, heart.
Often I think, “God can us ME?” and then I remember how often I’ve
heard, “He doesn’t call those who are able, he enables those he calls!” How
true. I’m thankful for this grace. I look forward to this thing called
surrendering in many ways, but I also know that it’s going to be scary and I
ask for your prayers as God teaches me and draws me closer. “Tomorrow’s freedom is today’s
surrender,” says the All Sons and Daughters song. How truer could a statement
be? “Now to Him to is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to His power that is at work within us to Him be glory in the church
and Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
(Ephesians 3:21)
God has been so good to us! Just as we have prayed
and asked for prayers and God’s provision, he is making a way. We have 75% of
our continual giving raised (monthly, yearly givers) and 44% of our outgoing,
one-time costs raised! Please continue to pray as details come together for our
transition. We’re moving out the end of July and have trainings in June,
August, and September. We hope to visit our families during August. Pray that
we will learn and retain helpful information that can be used to help others
with sustainable development and overall mental and physical wellness! Most
importantly, please pray that we will be the hands and feet of Jesus to those
we meet. Thank you for journeying with us!
