The Laws of Nature

The laws of nature have once again come upon us, and this past week has been full of cancellations and school delays. I had 8 lesson plans written to do this week, and I only did one. Talk about a great start to my student teaching! Oh well. "Thus begins the blessed winter of my soul," as my friend Shakespeare once commented. (Note: that is not the exact quotation; in fact, it very well could have been altered in slight ways)
I am looking forward to days of sunshine and warmth which promise to come. It is only January, but I always get excited for spring around this time every year. Then spring turns to summer, and days are filled with outdoor activities, dripping sweat, sun burns and sun tans, lazy hours by the pool, warm nights wandering the streets of downtown West Chicago, and singing praises to God around bonfires. Ah, the days of summer! Such memories they hold for me. Yet, thinking of them now, they hold a bittersweet sigh for that which is no longer.
Never again will we travel from Dubuque to the dear old West Chicago lands to spend our summers with the greatest Christ-followers on the face of the earth. Never again will we roam the streets looking for souls to add to the kingdom of God in the historic town of West Chicago. Never again will this happen, for, you see, we have moved further than the streets of West Chicago. Yes, they will be evangelized upon in the future; however, we have moved beyond Jerusalem to Judea, and even to the remotest parts of the world, to paraphrase a Biblical reference. Those of us from Dubuque have started the Core College Ministry; others have moved to Purdue to minister on campus; others are working on moving to certain churches who need help; and still others are staying where they are planted in order to minister in the areas where God wants them.
I say we will "never again" do such and such things, but I know nothing is impossible for God. As bittersweet as it is to remember my last two summers in Chicago, I know God has amazing dreams planned for each and every one of us who seek to do his will. Perhaps we shall never see each other again on this earth, but we will be together for eternity worshiping our Savior together. Perhaps my brothers and sisters are asked to bring the gospel to China and India and Egypt and Angola and Russia. Perhaps we are separated and never hear from each other again while living on this earth. As long as we individually seek to do the will of God, we together will be united. And that, my friend, is a promise we can stake our lives upon.