El Roi, God who sees me-
The foreigner
The wanderer
The sojourner-
Thank you that you see and ordain
All my journeys
My days
And my steps
Both coming and going
Father
I confess that at the beginning of this Journey abroad I thought
The going would be the highest price
You could ask of me
But here, now
I am finding that
The staying may cost even more
Oh Lord
Would you help me to count the cost
And find you ever worth it
Sometimes my feet
And my heart
Grow restless and I wonder
If perhaps it’s time
To fold up my tent
And go
When you are actually inviting me
To stay
To persevere
To trust that your plans for me here
Are not finished yet
Please calm my wandering heart
O Holy Spirit
O Prince of Peace
Gentle Savior, in these moments
When it seems it would be easier
To pack my bags
Help me instead to
Fall to my knees
And wait for you to speak
For you haven’t called me to
“Easy”
But to
“Faithful”
When it all feels like
Too much
And life here has become more
Surviving than thriving
Merciful Jesus, help me
Rediscover the abundant life
You offer
That isn’t dependent on
My location
But rather on
My posture
And in your kindness, Lord
Open my eyes to
Once again see
The beauty of this place
And this life
That I found not so long ago
When I surrendered to your call to
Go
And open my heart to
Once again embrace
The beauty of obedience
And this life
That I’ll find in the days to come
As I surrender to your call to
Stay
Find more encouragement at Liturgies for a Life Abroad.
9 Responses
THIS!!! You took the words right out of my heart! There are more than a baggage allowance of reasons for us to pack up and leave the field. No one would blame us. Everyone would welcome us back to our passport country. But God hasn’t given us the green light yet. Thank you for the reminder that He has called us to be faithful and obedient, regardless of ministry results and homesickness. We press on because He is worthy!!
Yes, He is worthy! Thank you for reading and commenting!
Exactly the words I needed at this time! Thank you for writing down what has been on my heart and in my head for weeks.
I’m so thankful this resonated with you. May the Father bless you as you stay faithful to the place and people He’s called you to.
Thanks for writing this! Yes… I’m feeling the pain of being asked to stay. Up until recently, all I wanted was to stay. My heart would have broken to leave.
But, at the moment , life has grown terribly hard for lots of reasons. Everyday feels like a sacrifice, and all I can dream of is being somewhere cool, and more comfortable, a place where I have friends who get me, and systems that (might) be easier to navigate. Lots has transitioned in the last few months, and now, I wonder if part of this IS the process of starting to let go because maybe we’re being called to new things. I wonder if that’s why some of the grace to stay has seemingly lifted! And yet… I know that in this particular year, this particular month, this day… I am called to be here, and there is enough grace for me here…
Sometimes it is truly saying “yes” one day at a time. I hope this liturgy continues to encourage you in this season, whether you end up staying long-term or just for a little while longer. Thank you for your faithfulness, even when it’s hard! Blessings!
Sometimes it is truly saying “yes” one day at a time. I hope this liturgy continues to encourage you in this season, whether you end up staying long-term or just for a little while longer. Thank you for your faithfulness, even when it’s hard! Blessings!
This is really beautiful. I’m eager to print it out and hang in somewhere in my home. 🙂
I’m so thankful it encouraged you!