"10,000 Reasons"

 

"Bless the Lord Oh my Soul, Oh my soul, worship His holy name. Sing like never before, oh my soul. I worship His holy name."

That song is the one song that has continually come up throughout my 7 weeks in India. Many of you know, it holds a very special meaning in my life and in the life of my family. I still do not fully understand why God picked that song to be the one that constantly came up (because it wasn't easy at first), but I know there is a reason behind it. As I was thinking about writing my final blog while in India, the song was the first thing that popped into my head. The words of the song hold a lot of significance about my time here and what these last days have looked like.

The first verse talks about praising the Lord each day from morning til night no matter what happens that day. We never know what our days will bring, but this was especially true here in India. But no matter how joyful or depressing the day was, there was always "reasons to be singing when the evening comes."

The second verse talks about characteristics of God. His rich love was one of the things that I learned most about in the past 7 weeks. He blew my mind.

"For all your goodness, I will keep on singing. 10,000 Reasons for my heart to find." This is one of my favorite lines in the song. When I look back over my summer, there are definitely 10,000 reasons for my heart to sing. The relationships formed, experiences encountered, and lessons learned are true testimonies of that. I have seen the Lord work in some pretty remarkable ways. I am so thankful for this opportunity and everything I have learned and encountered this summer no matter how easy or difficult it was.

As I prepare to leave, I have so many emotions. Today is our last day of ministry. The goodbyes have not been easy or fun, but I can say my life has been touched and forever changed. I don't know if I'll ever see these women and children again, but my journey of love does not end there. I will continue to lift them up in prayer no matter how near or far we are. It is no longer only statistics, it is faces and relationships. My eyes have truly been  opened to the brokenness, hurt, and abuse they face everyday.

I have a lot of thoughts running through my head. It is crazy to me that in 5 days, I will be home. Talk about a whirlwind of emotions! I am very excited to see everyone and to sleep in my own bed, have a hot shower with water pressure, and eat meat or at least something other than rice. :) I am so thankful for these past 7 weeks, and I cannot believe that the next time I communicate with everyone, we will be on the same continent!

Here are some final prayer requests as I prepare to come home.
-safety as we travel these next couple of days and fly home
-smooth adjustments back and continued health
-God will continue to water the seeds that have been planted
-the women and the hurt and bondage they are faced with everyday
-peace with leaving India
-most importantly: God will continue to work in this city!

As I begin packing and everything is winding down, I am reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18-"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I pray that is encouragement for you as well.

I cannot wait to see all of you, share stories, and hear how the Lord has been working in your life this summer. We truly have 10,000 Reasons to praise the Lord. See you soon!
P.S. When I get home, asking me specific questions is extremely helpful as 7 weeks is a lot to sum up and talk about :)