Jan 23, 2017
by Patti Wethington
SDB Church, White Cloud, MI
I’m praying your entry into 2017 has been enjoyable. For me, I spent my New Year’s celebration in Samobor, Croatia, with my daughter, Leanna, and her husband, Tomislav’. We stood on the balcony of her third floor apartment which overlooks the city and enjoyed a cascade of fireworks from multiple locations. Samobor has “pyrotechnic” shops and firework companies that provided enough combustible product to blow up the whole town — or so my ears thought it to be!!! I stood oohing and aweing until the last pop.
It was a “must-do” trip for me because I have not been separated from my children for any length of time. Now I have come to realize that my Lele is established, married, and living in Croatia for what she declares, “the rest of her life.” WOW! Never in my wildest dreams did I think any of my children would move so far away and strike up dual citizenship as well. Anyway, the trip allowed me to rest my spirit and see for myself that she is well, loved, and making a home with her family there. Of my three children, Leanna is the last one I thought would venture out like this. However, when I asked her if she liked it there and if she felt comfortable living in this faraway place, she, without a pause, told me that this is right where she is meant to be and that life is great. I’m going to thank God for the confidence I have in knowing He has a plan for each of our lives and this is my Leanna’s journey.
Also, I took this trip desperately needing some time to rest — to reflect on a very busy year; to prepare my spirit for the new year and Conference planning; and to be eagerly receptive to what God wants for my future. I hold dearly to Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I claim this promise and believe that my current calling is being fulfilled in General Conference planning — and that there is something more to be revealed. As I read on in Jeremiah verses 12-14: 12 “then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you” declares the Lord…. God promises again that when we seek Him and, do so with all our hearts, He will listen and we will find God. “I will be found by you,” He tells me. I stand right now in this seeking place reaching out for a God who gives me this confirmation that I will be found by Him. No worries — just call, come, pray — and my desires will be heard.
Standing in a seeking place, I realized that I need to reexamine a few things and I ask this question: Have you ever felt a bit lost and wished you could just find that safe place where there is warmth, understanding, comfort, peace, and safety? I took a pathway in my work life that I thought would give me more security and freedom — only to find that there was a false sense of liberty in that choice. It clearly squashed my spirit and drained my energy, and finally I realized that I was putting my trust in a fake sense of security. I awakened to realize that I am not trusting that “my God will supply all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). It took my breath away to comprehend how easy it is to grasp a false sense of security in this world. All God wants us to do is reach out for the real freedom we can have when we trust in Him to fulfill our daily needs.
Once again, I had grasped onto an all-consuming work life that overpowered God’s plan to take care of me. I see that now and understand that God wants me to know that He is waiting to be found by me. Call… Come… Pray! I will find Him.
I had to seek out in Croatia to find that my Lele is confident, safe, well cared for, and loved. I know that when I seek my God the same way, He is real! He is patiently waiting to be found and will, as he promises in Jeremiah, reveal His plan to give me hope and a future.” Once again I learned to cease placing my trust in the false promises of this world.
