Disappointment

Ministry started out pretty slow for me here in Iraq. Counseling almost stopped once we hit country and preaching looked like it would be once every three weeks.
It took me six weeks to figure out which chapel I would be at and even a little longer to get an office to counsel in. It was definitely not what I expected. My situation seemed at first to be working against the dream and vision I had.

Recently I have had the priviledge of preaching 5 weeks in a row. Counseling is going great. In every way ministry seems to have that added extra something that reminds me that the work I am called to do is not done in my own strength. I have been sensing and feeling God's presence here mightily among these troops.

In those first few weeks I held onto the belief that I am right where God wants me to be and that hope lead me around obstacles, through smoke screeens, and into His marvelous light.

I preached on the story of Joseph today out of Genesis 39-40; his prison experience.
Joseph's whole fiasco kind of started because of two dreams God gave him.

Joseph's life leads him from the promise to the pit, into a prison and finally up into the palace.

It would have been so natural, so easy for him to have doubted the Dream-Giver but he does not. The dream that he had been given of great things coming his way could not have made sense to him during these turn of events. But Joseph never stopped.

I have been dealing with soldiers who are feeling let-down, frustrated and disapointed.

My encouragement to them and to myself comes from the life of Joseph. God was with him when he was in the pit and the prison. Joseph knew his past, his present and his future were filled with God. Even when it did not make sense.