[Written in early 2011 while living in Germany to care for Omi, Barbara’s mother.]

Praise you, Lord, for the knowledge that you are the manager of my life. In your goodness, wisdom, grace and love you are constantly at work, arranging events, filtering out evil, giving guidance, protecting and directing.

Thank you for the surety that, as I pray about each day, you hear, you answer, you reach down from on high and take hold of me, you draw me out of deep waters, you rescue me from my powerful enemy, from my foe who is too strong for me. You bring me forth into a spacious place. You rescue me because you delight in me (Psalm 18:16-19).

What wonderful, rich, peace-giving, joy-providing, rest-producing Truth. Whatever comes I can praise you for it and wait for your wise and good timing in bringing me through.

In relation to Barbara’s mother, Omi, and the potential end of our time here, whether we leave in August or December or April, it’s fine: your timing is perfect. I can trust that you will work things out, all the things that need to happen: Omi’s accepting the change; a place opening up at the right time in the nursing home; the selling of her house; the outworking of disposing of all her goods; the shutting down of all utilities; the closing up of our apartment; the actual leaving.

Praise you, Lord, that you have all these things in hand, that you will guide us through the maze and will cause each thing to happen at the right time. Praise be to you ahead of time because you are always good, gracious and righteous.

Epilogue: the Lord answered and brought every one of these events to pass, later than we expected (almost a year later, by March of 2012), but at the right time and in the right way, including providing Omi a place in a brand new, beautiful nursing home, with her being willing to go and then in the very last week of our time in Germany, the selling of Omi’s house for the price she wanted, above market value.

Truly, Lord, you are the God of hope, who wants to fill us with all joy and peace, if we will only trust in you. Then you will cause our lives to overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit, blessing all those around us (Rom. 15:13). Help us, Lord Jesus, to trust in you continually, fully, richly and willfully so we can be carriers of hope to all those around us.