A Moment of Impact

 Today's blog will be a bit different than most monthly blogs. . . Most months I tell you about the ministry, or what we were able to do in the area we're in, I share the adventures we go on, the lives we touch, and the lives that touch us. . . 

 Today I just want to express how grateful I am for life.
A couple of days ago I found myself more thankful to be alive than ever before. . . 

As you may have seen on the news Narobi's West Gate mall has been under siege from Al-Quada terrorist. This is still going on today. . Many have died, many injured. . .  lives forever changed. 

What's crazy is that if this attack would've happened one week later that could have been us in that mall. See, we fly out from Narobi to get to our next country (Nepal), and we were destined to stop there on the way out being westerners an all. . we love our malls ya know?  Just one week , and things could have looked a lot differently. These attacks sadden me for those involved. The lives lost, the families in pain, the injured receiving aid. . . the families still in waiting to see if their loved one's come out of this chaos. 

As I was finding all this out I became extremely thankful for life right now. I am so grateful for my life, and the way I have been able to truly live it. Jesus says that when you choose life "I will give you life, life more abundantly" - LIFE more abundantly - without lack, full of hope, adventure, and joy. 

There are moments in history that stop you in your tracks. . . moments of sobriety where you are forced to take a look at your life, and see where it's been, and often times where it's going. . . 

For me, this is one of those moments. . .

Think back to 9/11. Where you were? what you thought? And how fast your your mind & heart  raced to those you love. Where all you wanted to do was call a family member or friend to say you love them, you miss them, your thankful for them. . .

In moments like these your forgive trespasses, and you forgive those who have had hurt you. .
 These moments come and interrupt the busyness of our day to day lives, they interrupt our schedules, deadlines, and push back things that truly aren't that important. 

Moments like these those of us who are lucky are the one's who get to see the gift of life, how precious it really is. We get to learn how to cherish & treasure it a little bit better one day longer. 

In this moment of processing my thoughts went to you. . . my family, my friends. 
You are more than just a support system for me on the World Race. You are family. You are the one's that if my life ended tomorrow it's your faces that would flash in front of my eyes as I breathed my last. 

My thoughts also were directed towards those right in front of me. The gift they are, and how I get to truly love those right in front of me a little bit better today because of a painful lesson learned from yesterday. . . 

Grieve with me the loss of these last few days

Pray with me for rescue, that God would be so gracious to come & comfort all those who mourn. 

I'm thankful for the sobriety of this moment. 

Not in that this had to happen, but in what I have chosen to see it as

I'm thankful for what it taught me, and what I was able to learn from this moment in history. . .

I'm thankful for each one of you, and your contributions to my life, and not just my Race. . . 

And finally, I'm thankful for life and today. 
 I'm thankful for the gift of life and the joy to be able to live it more abundantly. . . 

With a grateful heart, Love you all

Dev