great is Thy faithfulness

a few weeks ago, a friend asked me how i was doing. really how i was doing. i smiled at a contented thought.

great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
there is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
as Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

great is Thy faithfulness!
great is Thy faithfulness!
morning by morning new mercies i see.
all i have needed Thy hand hath provided
great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

summer and winter and springtime and harvest
sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

great is Thy faithfulness!
great is Thy faithfulness!
morning by morning new mercies i see.
all i have needed Thy hand hath provided
great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

great is Thy faithfulness!
great is Thy faithfulness!
morning by morning new mercies i see.
all i have needed Thy hand hath provided
great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

you know when there are seasons of your life when you feel like you actually could have written some of these hymns?

in the last 26 months, we have:

• packed & unpacked 19 times & slept in 19 different beds (3 countries, 8 cities)
• sean had pnemonia
• i had a sinus infection & dibilitating vertigo for three months
• i lost the hearing in my right ear
• my sister got married
• quin & declan came into our lives
• sean was bitten 12 times by a brown reclouse spider
• camden swallowed a hearing aid battery that exploded in his large intestine, miraculously (instead of his stomach)
• camden dislocated his elbow twice
• camden dislocated his thumb numerous times
• camden chicken pox
• we experienced one of the worst typhoon season in taiwan for 20 yrs.
• we've weathered the learning curve of the adoption, legal & immigration system in taiwan
• we've weathered visa "situations" in taiwan
• we've being unemployed for 14 months
• we've relocated to castle rock/denver
• we've experienced amazing graciousness and provision as we've lived with family and friends in their basements & spare bedrooms for 6 months
• we've moved into our own fortress, our own apartment
• we hosted11 sets of guests in the first 3 months of our new home

these phrases have defined the last two years of our lives: God has never, never left us; His mercies are new every morning; His provision and faithfulness have been proven over and over.

how am i doing? today, i am good. in the last couple of years, i feel like i have lived several lifetimes. the last couple months, there have not been any new developments in our home. there still is no work. the ramifications of this weighs more than we can bear alone. yet there is a sense of renewal in our home that doesn't have a bulleted event to add to the list above. there is a renewed joy, sense of peace, the desire to re-evaluate ideals and dreams, strength to raise these children into noble warriors. where does my help come from? i look to the mountains, it can only come from the Lord. He's offered to carry my heavy load.