Here it is 4:40 A.M. and the Lord woke me to write this blog. He is such a cute God! I have been pondering the last year and several months (yes starting around 3:00 A.M) and wondering to God and myself how we have gotten here. Our faith is a miracle in itself and I would not trade the prosperous growth of our faith for nothing. I think of my sister and brother-in-law who spend literally hours on their knees--- daily. They have been worthy warriors. Janni and Steve have also fallen head over heals in love with God and His Word. God has revealed Himself countless times to these heart broken parents only to soothe those wounds and give hope, peace, and love. They, my friends, have a developed a love for God that will make their life more exciting than if they would have hit the lottery.

I can imagine many may wonder if they or we have been presumptuous in claiming Kole's healing. We as people especially from our culture hate to be wrong! We as Christians always know that God has a will in our lives and that we do not always know it! But, we can know Him! I weep with emotion, thinking about what a beautiful and kind God we serve. He is in no way threatened or offended that we claim His victory over Kole's cancer. Faith takes stepping out! It is a path that can be lonely, because not everyone will understand where you are going and why! A calling is very personal and who are we to say what that is in someone else's life. A calling by God in our day is most likely heard in our heart and soul. Abraham, however, did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit and so He got to hear God's voice with his ears. I think of Abraham who was called by God to move to an "unknown land". He showed great faith in that he moved even when he did not have a map or proof that God was telling him to do this. God did not announce it to everyone. If He did, they probably would have disbelieved it anyway.I am sure people around him thought he was a little radical and crazy. His reputation of being a "sane man" might have went down the toilet. Abraham heard God's voice, believed, and acted upon it! The voice of men paled in comparison--his ears and heart were tuned into God. I look at Noah. No one else heard God tell Noah to build an Ark in the middle of the desert. He did not have anyone to back him up. It was a lonely road for Noah. However, God gave this man an amazing ability to construct an Ark. He probably had never even seen a boat in his life. The Ark took form and loomed in the background of the land scape. Proof was coming and the boat forming was proof. Noah invested 120 years in building this Ark believing that it would come in handy one day as God had said. You can imagine the taunts he got day after day, month after month, and year after year when the people thought that God had failed to show up with the rain. Sometimes, we as Christians fail at following God where he wants us to go and what he wants us to say because we are afraid we heard wrong or because we doubt. I believe if we seek Him and His word on bended knee He will not lead us astray! I just do not want to be a Christian who does not go anywhere, because I am afraid to look a fool and step out in faith. We could have one foot on God's path (attempting to please God) and one foot on the "world's path" (attempting to please the world). However, it is hard to walk with God, doing the "splits" so to speak! I believe God desires us to be willing to commit both feet to His path, so He can take us somewhere! His destination is only glorious and good. It might contain some pain and unknown. But trust is letting God take you somewhere, resting in the fact that it will be good where we are going. I guess we are willing to look like fools like Noah and Abraham. However, it is possible for a Christian to misunderstand God's calling and make a mistake! God takes us in our mistakes and is merciful and gracious. It makes it much more difficult, however, to miss His calling when committed to stay on your knees and in His Word. The very presence of God follows the Kellers wherever they go, like a pillar of fire. It is a testimony of where their hearts are aligned with! They are God's sheep and the they have found that they are desperate to stay nestled next to the leg of the Shepherd. They will not go wrong in that place! In fact, I believe they now have a trained ear listening for the Shepherd's voice. We may not understand it all. But they are on a very narrow path and are going places with God where we cannot go or know! We have our own path to follow with the Savior. I want to be on it, like them. It is blessed life knowing Him in this way. We as normal people tend to look back and wonder if anyone is going with us. God asks us if we are willing to follow all by our little lonesome selves? Are we willing to not be understood by everyone? Are we willing to go even when man opposes us? These are the questions that flood our minds and hearts in this monumental time in our life when faced with the gravity of life. I say this with smile, knowing our God is good. Whatever the cost, we will worship Him. We have gotten to know Him, and He deserves nothing but our worship and awe! Yes, we want to go with God. Our prayer is that many out there will be inspired by Kole's story, to go with God too! Everyone is welcome! We believe that part of God's plan in this, is to invite many to know Him, and many will take up the invitation. God loves you just as much and may you sense His love for you through this.

Love,
Jodi