Nearer My God to Thee. Come to Jesus. I Stand Amazed. Holy, Holy, Holy . . . on and on songs run through my brain. Today though, Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer speaks and God fills my soul.

Today I plead, and the Lord is answering with His closeness. Yesterday, I faced more emotional outflow than in a long time, and the words I kept sensing within – Lean into Me, child, lean into Me.

Over and over I found myself leaning in, not disappointed. Not for a moment. Strength provided. Day’s journey completed.

Resting on Jesus this morning, strength is returning. Way being provided. Work beginning. Some completed. Much to come . . . trusting, I move into my day.

Already . . . not yet. A constant tension Christians live in and embrace.

Already. The beauty and power of Christ’s life. The suffering of Christ’s death and triumph of His resurrection. The promise of the Holy Spirit giving believers both impetus and infilling for the journey, wherever life might take us, whatever life might demand of us.

Not yet. That glorious instant when our earthly time and presence is suspended, when we arise in the presence of God Almighty, our Savior and King.

But there is also an in the meantime.

If you’ve read former posts, you know I direct a local Kids Hope USA partnership http://www.kidshopeusa.org/What/How_KHUSA_Works/. This time of year, the work involved in recruiting, interviewing, training, organizing over 100 adult volunteers is long. Sapping. Energizing. Intense. Wearying. And yet an amazing display of God’s love for the impoverished, once forgotten children of a neighborhood in our city. His infilling. His in-gathering of adults saying yes to the journey.

The already process, same as for thousands upon thousands of KHUSA adult volunteers across our country over the past twenty years.

The not yet, many children waiting to be matched with mentors. Adults curious about what lies ahead, yet running with everything they have into this new journey. Hearts filled with love of Christ and the promise of God to provide. Their heads steeped in the call of God to care for the orphans, the weak, the voiceless, the alien. Souls bound with a love for God and a love for others.

Beautiful believers, moving into the world of hurting children. My prayer today is adapted from words of a Keith and Krystin Getty song, Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer.

Jesus draw us ever nearer as we labour through the storms.

You have called us to this passage; may we follow, though we’re worn.

May this journey bless the children; may we rise on wings of faith.

In this meantime, O God, fill us with your likeness. Your love. Your presence. Speak volumes through our lives.

And in the and yet of eternity, may Kids Hope mentors kneeling before the Throne of God find themselves, perhaps for the first time, seeing fruits of their labors as children and families gather beside them.

Each forever near to the One they came to love and follow here on earth.