Support Update and Reflections on the Month

Hello Everyone!

So as you can see on the graph above, I have officially reached 65% in committed support! The Lord's faithfulness never ceases and His people have been gracious to give. I am once again completely humbled to think that the Lord chooses to use small means to accomplish His big plan. He uses the weak, the needy, the insignificant and weaves it into a beautiful story of provision and intimacy with Himself. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have given. Whether it seemed like a lot or a little to you, it was and is exactly what the Lord has chosen to provide through your gift and I am simply overwhelmed by your generosity. So, thank you. I need about 20% or around $6,000 to move to campus. I feel so close but I know that I still have a little way to go! If you haven't given already, I ask that you prayerfully consider supporting me. You can donate at www.ruf.org/donate or you can send in a donation. There is more info on the "Support RUF" page if you are unsure how to go about giving your gift.

This summer has definitely been a unique one. Coming home after graduating college leaves you feeling a little displaced and ready for the next step. Of course, in my case raising support for the internship, the next step requires a great deal of trust. Almost every single one of my friends is dealing with the same stage of transition, the transition out of something familiar into something new. We are all learning what it looks like to trust and obey a God who has promised to never let us out of His hand. My friends and I have talked a good deal about the idea of "manna" or "our daily bread" that the Lord provides both in our daily needs and ultimately in Christ, the bread of life. I have seen my tendencies to try and manipulate God's provision or store away his blessings in case He "falls through" at some point. However, just like the Israelites in the desert, I find that the manna spoils when I try to keep it to myself or create a safety net of my own sorts. I am not made to have a fallback plan for God. He is all in all and all providing. I have tried so hard during this process to set up some sort of fail proof system so if the Lord doesn't provide, speaking out of my own ignorance here, I can still make it work. Fortunately, we serve a God who is constantly searching for the lost sheep and constantly providing manna for the grumbling Israelites. I have seen my identity in both of these easy targets for Biblical reproach and can now say I deserve to be called both more than I deserve to be called precious or righteous. The funny thing is, I have no idea just how precious I am to my God and just how righteous I am in Christ. The other underlying theme that has risen is the obviousness of my own hunger. I have such a hunger for stability, faithfulness, and consistency that can only be satisfied in Christ. However, I find myself expressing these hunger pains and feeding on my own inability, the empty promises of the world and ultimately self-glory. God will be glorified above all else and He also promises that one day we too will be glorified, but not on this Earth and definitely not in a way that worships our sinful heart above a perfect and holy God. These trials and revealings of my heart are simply put the most faithful thing the Lord can do for His children: sanctify them and make them like Jesus. This is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory, too great to comprehend with our finite minds. One day all of my ugliness will be washed away forever by the blood of the Lamb and I will praise the One who was faithful, forever and ever.

Praise the Lord. His mercies are new every morning.
Anna

Lamentations 3:21-24
But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him."