10,000 Reasons

Driving from Montana to Colorado with Daneen, I had one of those “gratitude moments” in my life.  Those moments when your heart and soul are overwhelmed with gratitude to God, when emotions get the best of you and tears start rolling down your cheeks, when you feel so blessed and know that you will never be able to repay others for all they have done for you (but you still want to try).  

Do you know what I am talking about? 

We were somewhere in the middle of Wyoming between Buffalo and Cheyenne and Daneen had taken over the driving duties so I was relaxing in the passenger seat.  As the new car DJ, I played Matt Redman.  
My mind went back to almost exactly two years ago…

When I came back to America on furlough in 2012 my first stop after leaving home in CA was to visit my old Missions Pastor from Seacoast, Jodi, who was then living on Long Island in NY with her husband Dan.  It is ironic that my first stop was to see Jodi, because that is where my journey to Kenya began 12 years ago.  Jodi was an integral part of the process of deciphering God’s call upon my life and preparing me to follow that calling and move to Kenya.  During my brief visit to Long Island in 2012, Jodi gave me the 10,000 Reasons CD by Matt Redman.  It was probably a pretty insignificant gift in her eyes, especially to Jodi who has always been so incredibly generous to me.  This little gift was a real treasure to me! Living overseas, it is hard to stay current on the latest music and I always feel a step behind when I return to America.  Over the course of the next 3 ½ months of traveling, I did a lot of driving.  Many of the vehicles didn’t have connections for my iPod so most of the time I stuck that CD in, cranked it up and worshiped God.  In my singleness, I always loved driving in America on the open road because you feel so free. 

We are the free, the freedom generation

Singing of mercy

You are the one who set us all in motion

Yours is the glory

There’s a fire in our hearts and it burns for you

It’s never gonna fade away

We are the free, and Yours is the glory

-“We Are The Free”

But at times, driving long distances by yourself, you can also feel a bit lonely.  I recalled one time in Montana in 2012 while driving my friend’s old 2001 Honda CRV between Great Falls and Billings, I was feeling really lonely.  I was asking God “When are You going to bring me someone to share my life with?” After popping in that CD, I gave it all back to God (probably for the 10,000^th time in my life).  I told him that my life belonged to him and I completely surrender to His will for my future.    

What heart could hold the weight of your love

And know the heights of your great worth

What eyes could look on your glorious face

Shining like the sun

Your name alone has power to raise us

Your light will shine when all else fades

Our eyes will look on your glorious face

Shining like the sun

Who is like you, God?

You are holy, holy, holy

God most high and God most worthy

- "Holy"

Less than a week later (in 2012), in Portland, Oregon I met this beautiful, amazing woman with a heart for Africa!  After a short courtship and engagement, about 7 months later, Daneen’s good friend Tim was playing two of the songs from that Matt Redman CD in our wedding in Longmont, CO… "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" and "Holy". 

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I’ll worship your holy name

- "10,000 Reasons"

After an amazing 1 ½ years of marriage, mostly living in Kenya and a few months of travelling around America, here I was listening to that same powerful CD with my wife, driving in our “new” car (which happens to be that same 2001 Honda CRV I drove 2 years ago) with 211,000 miles on it.   

You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger

Your Name is great, and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.

I felt grateful for all of the blessings that God has brought my way, but I was also excited about what lies ahead.  We had just finished our cross-country tour.  We spent the past 3 ½ months reconnecting with personal supporters and CGA sponsors and partners, giving different presentations and speaking in a number of churches.  Now we are heading towards a very unknown future.  We have no future job lined up, don’t know where we are going to live long-term and are simply trusting God to show us in His perfect timing.  I have no idea where we will be or what we will be doing 4-6 months from now, but I know God is faithful and I want to continue to praise the name of the Lord! 

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes

Driving down the road at 80 mph (the speed limit in Wyoming), Daneen and I were “singing like never before.”  My emotions got the best of me.  Tears were pouring out, but I didn’t care a bit.  I am a blessed man.  God has been so good to me in so many ways, and he has used so many people on this Earth to show His love for me.  From Jodi who has been there from the beginning, to Paul who gave us a car, to an amazing group of supporters all over Montana, and others scattered across America who have faithfully prayed for us through the years and invested their hard-earned money in God’s work in a small  town in rural Kenya... God has demonstrated his generosity and love through them.   

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore!

BLESS THE LORD!!