July Update

July 1, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

The more I come to know the Gospel the less I understand what it is that happens in that moment of realization of one’s powerlessness to make right all that has gone wrong, when a finite human being dons the very likeness of the infinite God and Savior. And the more I learn of the love of God the less my mind is able to wrap around the fact that a perfect, holy God calls each of us by name to a relationship with Him.

Though I may not understand God’s ways, I do know that I too often think of the Gospel as a static thing, something fixed in time. But the reality is that the Gospel—that is the truth about the person and work of Jesus Christ—is constantly in motion, drawing some, repelling others, and continually slaying any of our self-assured attempts to control our lives. The truth of the Gospel is no less at work in my life today than it was the day I first accepted it as truth.

My friend Patricia has allowed me to see this process more objectively than I can see it in myself. You all have been so faithful to pray and to encourage Patricia and her daughter Laniecha as I have continued to share their story with you. And as always, God has been faithfully working. If you have been following our blog you may already know some of the ways in which He has worked. God continued to deepen my relationship with Patricia and knowing that she has been unemployed for the last six months I encouraged her to attend a Christian job training program we partner with, and she agreed to go. At first she went to find a job, but very quickly our weekly meetings became so much more to her. And one night after class we sat in the car and talked about God’s plan for her life. Although she said she had never before been told the full truth of the Gospel, she then heard it clearly and was drawn to God’s faithful and personal call.

That moment she donned the likeness of our Savior. It is a miraculous and mysterious change; however, so much of the miracle of the Gospel happens after that moment. In the following weeks I have seen Patricia shed the daily hold depression had on her life, she graduated from the job training program and enrolled in G.E.D. classes. She has tirelessly been searching for a job, refusing to give up on her new goal to work towards retail management even in the face of disappointments. Patricia has begun to work on being a better mother. She is striving to be an example of success to her three daughters and is trying to repair damaged relationships through family counseling.

To me the miracle is evident each day that I see the anger gone from her eyes and her smile revealing new hope. I pray that Patricia never gets over the Gospel. I pray that for myself. I pray that for you. Thank you for your faithful prayers—you see, God is working miracles because of them. Patricia recently told me something about her family’s journey that I believe is true for all of us under the influence of the Gospel: “How long you’re on the journey depends on how far you’ve got to go—and we’ve got a long way to go. We’ll get there, but until then we’ll be on our journey!”

Being Ever Changed by the Truth, Andrew & Adria Medlen