Psalm 24

 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.

I woke up this morning with all sorts of emotions.  The first part of this section came to mind, and it helped me to realign my thoughts and responses to what is going on.  It is challenging for me to leave my family, especially the kids. 

Because they need me. 

But they can also do without me for a time. 

The bigger picture is that God has created this world, placed us all in it and he will continue to take care of us as we live in it.  I have been anxious about the kids because I think I know best how to take care of them, but the truth is that I don't.  God loves them more than I do, knows them better than I do, and cares for them better than I do. 

These verses remind me that God is powerful, that he has been around a lot longer than I have and actually does not even need my input about how the next few weeks should operate.  So I will try to live out my part in the process and not take over God's part in the process. 

And when I am in Mibu or Madang or Brisbane, I can look up to the stars or out to the mountains or to the beach or to the ocean and remember that the same God who created the part of the world I can see also created the part of the world I cannot currently see.  And even though I am finite and cannot be in two places at the same time, he can and he is.  So I will trust him to take care of the family he has entrusted me with, even as I trust him to lead the team in PNG and do his work there.