The Ending of an Era

January 17th, 2001 - Marks the day that I first started working on a team called the "Commitment Team". It was my first job working in a Christian environment, my first job working on a computer, and my first job where I felt truly wanted and accepted. Fourteen wonderful people welcomed me on that cold Wednesday in January. They went around in a circle and said their names and how long they had been working with Compassion, and most had only started a few months earlier. Bill, Nancy, Allie, Gayle, Barbara, Scott, Susie, CarolG, CarolW, Christie, Mary, Connie, Alisha, and my dear boss, Robert. I was immediately amazed at their kindness and how they were so excited to have me join their team.
I soon grew to love them all and we developed deep, lasting relationships with each other. We went through a lot together. The first month I was there, we were hit hard with sponsorship requests and voluntarily gave our Saturday mornings to the work of the ministry. I loved those Saturday mornings. Robert would bring in huge "B-52 Bomber" burritos from Classic Hamburgers, and we would crank out as much work as we could. I loved sitting at the long tables in front of the huge Chapel windows that looked Southwest towards the Twin Peaks. I loved folding the child packets and putting them in envelopes to be sent off to their new sponsor. I loved taking huge stacks of child photos and marking them as available for sponsorship. I loved the time when our team would gather for breaks and pray or read or rest on the big couches in the corner room. I loved the fun Hawaiian potlucks we would have and the big birthday celebrations.
Three months after I started we moved from our jam-packed office into a beautiful big new office building. With the move came many changes and the Commitment Team changed right along with it. We gave processes to other departments, streamlined work flow, added new tasks and helped those around us. Compassion has grown from roughly 300 employees to nearly 600; and from 350,000 children to over a million children. Our little Commitment Team has seen 39 people come and go over the past 7 years, and each one of them had a heart of gold. We've prayed for one another, played pranks on on another, laughed with one another, stood by each other during hard times, and together we've released children from poverty in Jesus' name. Seven years is a long time to spend on one team, but I could spend the rest of my working days with this wonderful team - they were more than just coworkers, they were my family.


Late last year, I found myself in a quandary; facing a decision to leave my beloved team and start down a new road. I resisted the thought of ever leaving my team, and opted against applying for other positions. Little did I realize that God would be working in my life and changing my heart ever so slowly. Last month, I realized that He was calling me to serve Him in a new way, and with a new team. His hand worked not only in my heart, but in all the circumstances around me and suddenly, before I knew what was happening, I was interviewing for the position and was offered the job.

April 25th, 2008 - Marked the day that ended a very special era in my life; my last day working on that wonderful team, now called "Constituent Account Services".

April 28th, 2008 - A new road, a new team, a new purpose begins. A new era in which to serve my Lord, Compassion, the precious children and their sponsors.

"But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations."
Psalm 33:11

Seven More Days

Well, it's been a long 3 months... but 3 months of intense growth. I've learned a lot while my parents have been gone:

I've learned what it takes to run a house, and how to change the light bulb in a car.

I've learned that sugar is bad for my brain, and how to fix a sinks clogged plumbing.


Most importantly, God has taught me the need to rely on Him more fully, no matter what the circumstance. And I've learned that the Lord uses each circumstance to mold His precious clay creations.


The time alone has been good for me in the long run, but I'm counting down the days until Friday the 11th! This time next week, I will be talking and laughing with my parents and enjoying their company once again. Praise the Lord for wonderful parents!!!

They say that you don't appreciate a good thing until it's gone.

When my parents return - each minute that I get to spend with them will be treasured.

I'll Walk With God

I'll walk with God from this day on.
His helping hand I'll lean upon.
This is my prayer, my humble plea,
May the Lord be ever with me.

There is no death, tho' eyes grow dim.
There is no fear when I'm near to Him.
I'll lean on Him forever
And He'll forsake me never.

He will not fail me
As long as my faith is strong,
Whatever road I may walk along.

I'll walk with God, I'll take His hand.
I'll talk with God, He'll understand.
I'll pray to Him, each day to Him
And He'll hear the words that I say.

His hand will guide my throne and rod
And I'll never walk alone
While I walk with God.

Words by Paul Francis Webster
Music by Nicholas Brodszky

This song means a lot to me for many different reasons. My first recollection of this song was as a child when I heard it in a movie called, "The Student Prince". My family watched this movie often, as it was one of my Dad's most favorite videos. Whenever the movie would get to the part where Mario Lanza sings this song, my dad's beautiful tenor voice would join chorus with Mario's - but my dad would never make it through the song without getting choked up. When sneaking a quick glance at my dad, I would see tears streaming down his face and his eyes filled with emotion. From that day on, these words have stirred the depths of my heart.

Each word in the song reminds me of how completely powerful God is, and how much I need Him. So often I wander down my own road, making my own plans, leaning on my own understanding, then things turn sour and I wonder how in the world I got in such a mess. Then the Lord gently reminds me, sometimes through a song like this: was I walking with Him? Was my faith in Him strong? Was I leaning on His helping hand? Often the answer is no. My fickle heart had turned inward again; my mind had become filled with worry over things that I could not control; my prideful spirit had been blinded into believing that only my purposes and my goals were important. Then, Colossians 3 reminded me of what I'm called to; "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above... not on earthly things." God's plans are so much bigger than mine, and if I am to exemplify Christ in my life then I must also sacrifice my own desires and submit to the perfect will of God. This week I learned a valuable lesson: A heart that is truly yielded to the Lord is a heart filled with peace and contentedness, regardless of the situation.

"'Now then,' said Joshua, 'throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.' And the people said to Joshua, 'We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.' " Joshua 24:23-24

The Weaver

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.
Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not ‘til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unfurl the canvas
And reveal the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those

Who leave the choice to Him.

~Author Unknown

A Breath of Fresh Air

Have you ever had a time in your life when you read something and it stuck out and seemed to be completely applicable to your present situation? You know, you're reading a passage in the Bible and one of the verses jumps out and grabs you. Well, I was reading in Proverbs yesterday and it happened. But this time it wasn't a single verse, it was the entire chapter! But the amazing thing is, if you know anything about Proverbs, most of the verses are very different and talk about completely different topics. Each one of those 35 verses touched on different issues that I have been dealing with, and not only did they grab my attention, they revealed what was buried deep in my heart and soul. Wow. That's when you realize that God knows just where you are and teaches you exactly what you need to learn. It's so comforting to know that God is in complete control; He knew that I was going to struggle with these issues, and He also planned the exact time that I would sit down and read that particular passage, and He prepared my heart to hear and understand what I was reading.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12

Truly, we have a gracious God that would give us such an amazing thing as His very Word. There are so many truths within the pages of Scriptures that answer our every question and fulfill our every longing. We have only to look. Do we? I, for one, am guilty of not traveling to it's bountiful streams to refresh my spirit. How quickly I can forget the joy of seeing my Lord through the words written in the Bible. Yesterday was a breath of fresh air.

To those of you who have been praying for me, thank you. God is answering your prayers and helping me through this time in my life.

Empty Chairs

Today is the 9th consecutive day of coming home to an empty house. It hasn't been too awfully bad, probably because I'm always at work and never at home. But it is terribly quite in this huge house. I get home late and tired and the kitchen serves as a daily reminder of my mom's cooking. The empty chairs around the table echo of laughter and fellowship; and the basement seems void of the loud football games that my dad and I enjoyed together. My little dog sits and looks at me while I recount the events of my day, but she just isn't the same as family.

The meaning and purpose of the family has become more dear to me of late. There is a certain sense of security; of knowing that someone will always be there for you and you'll never be completely on your own. There is a need to depend to trust, a need for a relationship. As a song once sung stated:

____________________________

Someone to care for; to be there for. Someone to do for; muddle through for. Someone to share joy or despair with; whichever betides you. Life becomes a chore, unless you're living for someone to tend to be a friend to. Someone to strive for, do or die for.

~Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

____________________________

An empty and quite house is difficult for the person who is reliant on the security of family. But, I'm also aware that this time in my life has been graciously afford to me by my Lord. He will use it to strengthen my trust in Him. To show me that He will provide for my needs - all my needs. The absence of family does not mean the absence of security, but simply the opportunity to rely on the One that has everything in the palms of His hands.

"Do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid."
Jeremiah 46:27

Wondering What it is Like to Live Alone

I'm sure your first thought is, "Hmmm, isn't Robyn kinda old to not know what it's like to be on her own?" Yeah, I know - most people would have moved out of their parents house 10 years earlier than I. But, then, most everything I've done in my life has gone against the "norm" and my decisions have often been seen as "immature" because I don't seem to follow along with decisions that other people make in this culture nowadays. Perhaps it is because I have not matured enough, or perhaps I have been given a gift to see past the cookie-cutter expectations, and realize what is important in this world.

It seems that most teenagers go through a phase of wanting to be independent; get out on their own; try their own wings. And, while there are benefits to moving out and living by yourself, it's good to weigh them against the benefits of staying home with family. But, sometimes those benefits are rarely considered, discussed, or compared in the final decision. Obviously there are circumstances where living at home is not a wise or maybe even viable option, but it was for me.
When I turned 18 and the urge came to leave home and get out from under my parents, I started weighing the benefits of leaving, and of staying. Sure, there was the benefit of saving money, but the Lord began to work in my heart and reveal to me the value of developing and investing in real relationships with my family. Yeah, I had grown up with them and spent 18 years of my life with them. But living with someone and developing a deep relationship someone are two different things, and require a completely different mind set. Gradually, my attitude towards my parents began to change - no longer did I see them as stifling and overbearing, but rather I saw them as deep wells of knowledge and wisdom. As my perspective changed, so did my attitude towards them, and soon I started to treasure every moment with my family. Yeah, we still have our arguments and little squabbles, but the whole relationship has taken on new dimensions and is on a whole new level. My Mom is one of my best friends and has quickly become one of my all-time, life-time heroes; my dad has been my personal financial advisor, tax advisor, auto mechanic advisor, and computer advisor. My brother knows me inside and out, and the only guy that I can completely be myself around.
So, when people are surprised that I still live at home and encourage me to get out and try my own wings, I smile and say "sure". But inside I know that I have discovered a most valuable treasure, the treasure of a real family, real relationships. Sure, I could live on my own, but I never wanted to because I know that my time with my family is limited. I won't get to spend the rest of my days with them, and so I want to hold on to every moment that God blesses me with. Knowing that someday, they won't be around.

The past 10 years with my family have been an incredible blessing that I will treasure always. Now God is gently leading me down new paths that I must take. These are paths that God has chosen for my life, and I know that He will give me what I need to walk them. And so, with these new paths ahead of me, I'm wondering. What will it be like to live alone? When I've spent almost three decades living with family, the prospect of living alone seems, well, scary. Alone is such a solitude word. It sounds empty. It sounds lonely. But then, I remember that I will not be truly alone. The Lord promises to be with me; to care for me; to walk along side me.
There is such complete relief to know that my True Friend will never leave me. He will care for me, as long as I put my trust in Him.
I don't know what it's like to live by myself, but I do know that I won't be alone.

Come February - it's me and God.

New Things Ahead

Normally, isn't it the little bird that flies away from the nest and the mommy and daddy bird that stay? But, when is life normal for Robyn? My parents flew the coup last Thursday - all the way to South America. I'm here keeping the nest warm and somewhat clean, but they forgot to tell me how to catch worms. Either that, or I'm just not early enough.
Okay, enough with the corny analogies. :)

December 31st was a special day for my dad. After 50+ solid years of work, he retired, and boy was he happy to get a well deserved break from the corporate rat race. The one drawback is that retirement pay isn't very much nowadays, and definitely won't support a family of 4; nor can it afford the big house that we have now. Since my mom has loads of family in South America, and a little property of her own, they decided to go down to Chile for a few months and see if it might be possible to live down there. Either way they will be moving - either to Chile or to a smaller place here in the US. Which means that I have to start looking for my own place to live. Yeah, you got that right - my parents are kicking me out of the house. :)
So, for the next three months they will be looking at land, housing, cars, etc.

Meanwhile, while my parents are gallivanting around the world, I'm here at home trying to manage our big house, the pets, the bills, (and trying to manage my little brother). While also working a gazillion hours at Compassion, babysitting, house sitting, and trying to look for my own place. Needless to say, I'm slightly busy.

Other than my being an orphan for the next 3 months, things really haven't changed, per se, but the road ahead is revealing more change than I've had in my life, to date.

Even if my parents do move to Chile, they will still be "visiting" me for months at a time and will need a place to live on and off. So, in a matter of a few short months, I will go from being a dependent, eating my mom's cooking, living in my dad's house, and having limited expenses - to providing food for my family, a roof over their head, and tripling my current expenditures. But you know, even though it's a little more responsibility and a lot of new territory, I have complete peace that the Lord will provide for every need and guide me through each decision. What a joy it is that I can simply call upon my Father and know without a shadow of a doubt that He will remain faithful and true. It is reassuring to be able to put my complete confidence in the Lord, no matter what lies ahead. And, I am exceedingly grateful that I have such wonderful parents, and that He has given me this opportunity to give back to them just as they gave and sacrificed so much for me. How incredibly blessed I am to have such wonderful parents, and even more thankful that He has helped us to have deep and abiding relationships with one another.

The trials and challenges that come our way are but periods of fire that will melt the dross from the gold of our faith. And I know that it was “for this very purpose, that [He] might display [His] power in [me] and that [His] name might be proclaimed in all the earth." (Rom9.17) So, I pray that through this time of change in my life that He might be glorified in everything, and that His name would be proclaimed and uplifted.

Soli Deo Gloria