A Month of Thankfulness

Over the past few months I've had many moments where I have just had to stop and marvel at the incredible care I have been shown and say, "God is good." God is not intimidated by our need; we were created to need him, and he is the perfect and most generous provider.

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In March we found out we were expecting a baby! What an incredible blessing. But there were lots of challenges awaiting us: the process of finding a doctor, finding medical care that could overcome the language barrier, getting all the supplies we needed for a baby, managing the work set before us in Croatia while navigating this new addition, not to mention being away from family during your first pregnancy - much less in a foreign country! And as all these things ran through my mind on a constant basis, I was constantly refreshed by the truth: "God is good."

Some of those moments;

- One of our Bible study contacts took it upon herself to find a doctor for me, calling and visiting clinics until she found a doctor who spoke English and pleading with them to accept me as a patient even though their load was technically full.

- I was showered with care by the ladies in the church, as they provided almost all the supplies we needed as well as advice and continuous encouragement.

- A missionary who was returning to the U.S. gifted us with a whole collection of baby boy clothes and other care supplies.

- The church gifted us an incredibly peaceful vacation to one of our favorite Croatian cities, where we also met a traveling American couple. We shared great conversation as the couple ate at the table next to us in a restaurant one evening, and when we got up to leave we found they had paid for our meal as well.

- Friends hosted baby showers for us, even though baby showers aren't part of Croatian culture.

- Birth was incredibly hard when Zach wasn't allowed to join me due to covid restrictions, but there was great medical staff who were constantly there helping me.

- I had an incredible roommate during my hospital stay who helped translate when needed, and offered encouragement and fantastic company when our 2-day stay turned into a week-long NICU stay and recovery.

- Rather than being constantly reminded of the "workload" set before us, we have been showered with love and lots of food since our return from the hospital!

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Grace is a humbling gift. I have done nothing to deserve any of these blessings, but found myself breathless with awe as I marveled at how well God knew what we needed and met those needs before we even thought to ask for them. This is an experience that isn't new to this year in Croatia; it's something we have constantly felt throughout out time here. We've been able to tell others about this experience we've had through the Church, which we have recognized more deeply since being here when we find ourselves "out of place" and in more need. This is love. This is the love that is a light on a hill. This is the love that makes known that we are disciples of Christ. This is the love that we have experienced, and get to tell about and invite others into. We serve an awesome God who provides for us in every way.

So we rest. And we are thankful. And we have peace.