Jessie's Well Blog

Day 18, 19, 20

 

Day 18, 19, 20
September 25, 26, 27, 2015

Friday began our first of three rest days in Fort Collins.  We have spent the weekend catching up on correspondence, running errands, visiting with Robert and friends in Fort Collins.   Friday night we were privileged to attend the CSU Navigators meeting where Robert shared his faith and testimony to a room of about 100 college students.  He did a wonderful job of honoring God and it was a very special time for Marilyn and me.  To know that Jessie is home safely with her heavenly Father and that Robert knows and walks with his heavenly Father while still on this earth is a blessing beyond measure.  Our friend and Navigators Regional Director, Jim Rinella spoke to the students that night with a great message from the book of Daniel.   As always, we enjoyed spending some quality time with Jim and his wife Linda.

On Saturday night, we were hosted by our good friends Anson and Bev Perina for a cook out at their house.  It was so good to enjoy the beautiful Fort Collins evening with friends, good food and good conversation. 

On Sunday we enjoyed worshiping at Mill City Church with Robert then relaxed the remainder of the day while Marilyn cooked a peach cobbler and Robert studied.  I cleaned my bike and am ready for tomorrow.

I  start riding again early on Monday morning.  I feel very rested and ready for the next phase of the ride.  With about 2000 miles to go, I am eager to see how God unveils the journey ahead.  We have learned and are learning how our heavenly Father is faithful to lead on a daily basis with provision sufficient for the day.  That said, most days include many hours of just plain endurance to overcome head winds, long climbs, bad road conditions, sun, etc.  I know that I must persevere through these daily trails in order to make it to my destination.  Each day that I persevere I get stronger and closer to my goal of Jacksonville, Florida.   Our daily lives are often the same – enduring through times of difficulty and trials knowing that doing so will produce results of character through the experience.  James 1:2-4 says it this way:

^“2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”

From a spiritual perspective, I want to finish life “not lacking anything.”  Knowing that, as a child of Christ, all trials must first be filtered through my heavenly Father’s hands allows me to endure those trials with joy.  This is often easier said than done but I know they are for the purpose of developing maturity and completeness in Christ.   We are all called to run this race through life with the reminder that our faithful endurance through the trials of life will ultimately end in perfection with our heavenly Father by His Grace and Mercy.  “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” 2 Corinthians 9:15