BE THOU MY VISION by Larry Stout
BE THOU MY VISION by Larry Stout, 7/27/08
Since returning to the United States in October of 2006, Debbie and I have been actively searching to find our place after our ministry in Latvia. What has transpired in these past twenty-months appears to be our ministry finding us!
Local – we have found a wonderful church in nearby Williamsport, Citychurch, and Debbie and I have been able to build trusting relationships there. It appears I may be assuming more of a leadership role in the church in the future.
National – I have hoped to develop more leadership work in the United States, but it has been slow in coming. I currently am working with my son-in-law, Robert Mattox, to build a leadership-coaching network. There is still much work to do in this area, but it has been slowly progressing.
International – I have already been to two new countries (Israel and Cyprus) since leaving Latvia and this year will be in at least two more (Bulgaria and India). I continue to have an active involvement in work in Latvia, Lithuania, and the Ukraine. My prayer has been to take my leadership model to the world, and it appears that this will continue in the coming years.
Wildcard – I do not know what else to call this, but my summer has been preoccupied with the writing of a novel. How this fits into the grand scheme of things, I have no idea, but I do believe the Lord has plans for it. There are also a number of ‘new’ ideas that have been poking around my brain that I believe will materialize in the not-so-distant future.
How all these seemingly unrelated areas work together, I have no idea. All I have is the promises of God, which declare that “the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord” (Proverbs 20:24). I know that I want to continue to serve Him with all my strength, no matter where it takes me. Though I do not know where the road is going, I know I want to follow Him.
Since my youth, my favorite hymn has been “Be Thou My Vision.” It is a song that points to trusting in a Sovereign God and declaring His goodness and love. The music comes from an Irish folk song, Slane, referring to Slane Hill where in 433 A.D. St. Patrick defied the pagan High King Loegaire of Tara by lighting candles on Easter Eve. There are some that believe that Patrick himself wrote the words to the song. It certainly would match how the man lived his life. He influenced an Irish monastic movement that would take Christianity throughout Europe and even as far as Iceland. The early Irish missionaries were so committed to following the Lord no matter where He would lead them, they even built ships that had no rudders, oars, or sails – and launched them forth in faith and would preach wherever they landed! Now that is commitment.
As the hymn goes, I am seeking to make the Lord my Vision, my Wisdom, my battle Shield and Dignity and Delight. If we make that our heart’s cry, the future has to be bright indeed!
Since returning to the United States in October of 2006, Debbie and I have been actively searching to find our place after our ministry in Latvia. What has transpired in these past twenty-months appears to be our ministry finding us!
Local – we have found a wonderful church in nearby Williamsport, Citychurch, and Debbie and I have been able to build trusting relationships there. It appears I may be assuming more of a leadership role in the church in the future.
National – I have hoped to develop more leadership work in the United States, but it has been slow in coming. I currently am working with my son-in-law, Robert Mattox, to build a leadership-coaching network. There is still much work to do in this area, but it has been slowly progressing.
International – I have already been to two new countries (Israel and Cyprus) since leaving Latvia and this year will be in at least two more (Bulgaria and India). I continue to have an active involvement in work in Latvia, Lithuania, and the Ukraine. My prayer has been to take my leadership model to the world, and it appears that this will continue in the coming years.
Wildcard – I do not know what else to call this, but my summer has been preoccupied with the writing of a novel. How this fits into the grand scheme of things, I have no idea, but I do believe the Lord has plans for it. There are also a number of ‘new’ ideas that have been poking around my brain that I believe will materialize in the not-so-distant future.
How all these seemingly unrelated areas work together, I have no idea. All I have is the promises of God, which declare that “the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord” (Proverbs 20:24). I know that I want to continue to serve Him with all my strength, no matter where it takes me. Though I do not know where the road is going, I know I want to follow Him.
Since my youth, my favorite hymn has been “Be Thou My Vision.” It is a song that points to trusting in a Sovereign God and declaring His goodness and love. The music comes from an Irish folk song, Slane, referring to Slane Hill where in 433 A.D. St. Patrick defied the pagan High King Loegaire of Tara by lighting candles on Easter Eve. There are some that believe that Patrick himself wrote the words to the song. It certainly would match how the man lived his life. He influenced an Irish monastic movement that would take Christianity throughout Europe and even as far as Iceland. The early Irish missionaries were so committed to following the Lord no matter where He would lead them, they even built ships that had no rudders, oars, or sails – and launched them forth in faith and would preach wherever they landed! Now that is commitment.
As the hymn goes, I am seeking to make the Lord my Vision, my Wisdom, my battle Shield and Dignity and Delight. If we make that our heart’s cry, the future has to be bright indeed!
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