Who's In Control?

There's no need to comment on things that are happening these days and how everyone is being impacted in one way or another; unfortunately for us at CEC, it has meant that the students have been sent home early though we still had five weeks remaining to the completion of this year's course.  I suppose that this turn of events (for all of us) has in some sense awakened us to the reality that we truly don't know what tomorrow will hold.  This, of course, is nothing new - it has been the fact each and every day, however, in these days it becomes more of a reality.  And not only that, but also the reality that we are not in control.

However, as believers we find great comfort in being reminded that there is ONE who IS in control.  The Psalms especially are fully of cries for help and expressions of confidence in God, who is "our refuge and strength, and ever present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).  This Psalm reaches a climax with the familiar words, "Be still and know that I am God" (verse 10).  I don't know how much different you are from me, but I know that for myself, I like control.  I get uncomfortable when things are out of my control; but God lovingly reminds me that things are better in His hands anyways.

Our Students: BACK: Abram R. (Jalisco), Abram M. (Chihuahua), Miguel (Sonora), Joel (Jalisco), Manuel (Sonora), Jesús (Sonora); FRONT: Carlos (Veracruz), Carmen (Sonora), Andrea (Oaxaca), Sofía (Veracruz), Raúl (Veracruz)

That is the confidence our students went out with this past weekend.  The decision was a hard one to make and to carry out as staff, but for the best of all involved, we decided to send each student back to their homes and communities.  The past nine weeks that we have spent with them have truly been a  blessing, and as students reflected on the time we've spent together, each one could share with gratitude how God had met them in specific ways, and how they are not heading out the same.  We can attest to that as we've seen significant changes in each one of their lives.

In the coming weeks I'll take some time to share specific stories of how God has been at work, but for now, let's pray for each of these students as they unexpectedly find themselves back home, perhaps feeling that they weren't ready to leave CEC behind.  Some in particular are at a transition point in their lives and weren't sure what was next for them.  Thinking they still had five weeks remaining at CEC has left some of them feeling very unsure and vulnerable.  Yet the reality is that nothing is out of God's hands, His control, nor His plan. He saw this coming and was preparing each one of them for this moment.  This now becomes the place where the rubber meets the road and we learn to walk by faith when we can't see what's around the next corner (and we have no understanding of what's going on!)

Thanks for your prayers for the students and for us as a staff as we figure out our next steps and what the rest of the year looks like.  I keep hearing in my head the voice of a GPS unit repeatedly saying, "Recalculating route...recalculating route...").  I'm glad that God's routes never get recalculated by unseen circumstances!  ¡Dios les bendiga!