IDEA MAGAZINE September-November 2015 | Page 38

I guess it was the same for the Israelites, looking back from their place of hardship and thinking that being in slavery back in Egypt was much better than being in the wilderness. God had brought us to Australia, He’d ushered us into a new season, and here I was forgetting to enter the gates of the new season with thanksgiving, here I was losing sight of God’s promises to us as a family. Here I was wondering where God was. I hungered and thirsted for God, the God that I had seen and encountered in Africa. I longed to be in a church where people praised, worshipped, and prayed like everything depended on it. I desperately needed fellowship. My heart and body ached for God. I was afraid of losing the fire that I had for God. God in His own way called me back to a heart of worship and I have been able to once again fully trust Him and daily count on His faithfulness, love and goodness as I continue to settle. We have been here for about four months and I can feel His warm embrace around me. My strength is renewed and everywhere I look I see sure signs of His love for me, and the great plans He has for me and my family. I look forward to a great adventure in this land, as Jesus takes the wheel, and I obediently follow. Have you recently moved from one country to another? Are you overwhelmed with culture shock? Are you feeling lost and homesick? Do not let what you are going through cause you to get into the sin of murmuring. Do not allow the spirit of grumbling to take hold of you; instead, “Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS, and again, I say rejoice...” Philippians 4: 4. By Winnie Thuku IDEA DIAPORA 37