Treasures in Jars of Clay

Recently I've received several messages from home commenting on how strong our faith is. I wanted to share some behind the scenes information with all of you. Please know that God gives faith to everyone who wants it! In fact, it's faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Like with anything, faith develops with time and practice. My friend Margo asked me if God had used my past experiences to prepare me for this journey. YES! Absolutely! I like Corrie Ten Boom's quote when thinking about her childhood: "I know that such memories are the key not to the past but to the future. I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do."
For me, my faith started to develop when I had undiagnosed mercury poisoning and was sick for 12 years. Our experiences that led to this journey are too lengthy to describe in one blog post. No soldier goes into battle without training. No athlete competes without training. In the Bible, Christians are compared to soldiers and athletes. God is constantly working in our lives, if we allow Him to do so.
These verses describe us so well: "For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."
-2 Corinthians 4:5-9
Believe me, we are earthen vessels, also referred to as jars of clay. We are weak and unattractive on our own. We fall into doubt and despair. We think and say ugly things to each other and to God. We are definitely hard pressed here in Bangladesh! We, too, are perplexed by why Nadeem had to have more fingerprints taken, further delaying our return home. God could have prevented this, but He didn't. We have felt persecuted by the government and by some of the people here. We feel struck down by physical ailments, sorrow, and homesickness. However, God gives us strength. It's the same strength that's available to all of His children.
I am going to share part of a journal entry from last week with you not for you to feel sad but for you to understand that we are weak humans and our strength and faith comes from turning to God constantly. He meets us at our point of need and comforts us.
from November 21 "Dear Lord, I come to You today so weak and in need of help. God, I feel that I can't endure anymore. I can't face any more disappointment. I feel I have no strength left. Nadeem and I are both at a breaking point. We fought with each other yesterday. By bedtime I just sobbed and sobbed while Nadeem held me in his arms. Lord, please let us go home. That's all I have in me to pray right now."
God answers, "When you are weak, I am strong." If you're seeing any faith or strength in us, please understand that you're seeing God!
Thanks for praying for us! Time to change a diaper! :)