For Rhonda and I, today is a very significant day! It was exactly one year ago that we made the decision (in rock climbing terms) to step off the edge. We were accepted by the staff of First Love to move to Kenya to begin a new life there, helping the orphan children move into adulthood. So much has happened since then it would be impossible to recap it all in a short time.

Last fall we spent several weeks going through some intensive training to get ready for the impending changes of moving to another culture. One day we found ourselves at the top of a very high cliff being instructed on how to descend to the base some 65' below. Getting ready to drop has a number of very important steps: checking your rope and gear, communicating with your belayer, getting into the correct position. We had plenty of rope to make it to the bottom so after the unnerving backwards step off it wasn't too bad.

We've all seen though those Bear Grylls type extreme wilderness shows where they're descending off a cliff and the rope is about 30' too short. There they are, hanging over a pool of water thinking, "now what do I do?" Recently I was spending some time reading through my bible when I came across this verse. "You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule." (Matthew 5:3) That phrase "at the end of your rope" is familiar to most of us. A lot of the time the one saying it is at a place of desperation. It can also simply be a realization that we just can't continue on under our own power. When we reach the "end of our rope" we can just sit there a bit also until the next step reveals itself to us. Usually on the TV show the leader then pulls out a knife, cuts the rope and they fall safely into the water. That helpless feeling is what usually gets us, isn't it?

We've had a number of those "end of the rope" moments over the past year. This verse is actually saying that being at the end of your rope is really a good place. It's there where God can show up big in our life and make up the difference in what we can't do on our own; when our rope is too short. Lately, as we've been just "hanging there" not able to move on our own, God is continuing to show us what He is doing for us. In just the past few weeks:

• He wrapped up the sale of our house after a long 6-month process.
• He has opened the door to tell our story in front of three churches.
• He has  moved us closer to getting our long-term work permit.
• He has increased our monthly support by 10% in just a few weeks.
• And get this, He has brought us an anonymous donor who is going
  to pay off our LARGE nursing school student loan, so we can leave without having any debt! WOW!

Are you hanging there on the end of a rope that's too short for what you need in your life right now? Could that be the perfect place for God to come through for you too? Ask him bring you the rest of the way and see what He does for you. You'll be blessed just like the verse says.