Our Resilient Roots
"Sometimes those who go do not realize the cost that we who stay behind pay."
My grandmother is a detailed portrait of God's grace. If you had a chance to sit with her and hear her story, it would take mere minutes for you to hear her praising God for sustaining her through many trials. My grandfather fell into mental illness before my dad's teenage years. This resulted in my "Grammy Hunt" spending many of her adult years as a single mom working hard to provide for her family while raising five kids. What kept her from becoming bitter was her tenacious holding onto Christ. As she faces the physical struggles of aging, she still believes that the sufferings we experience now are not even worth comparing to the glories we will partake of when God recreates the universe without suffering, sorrow, sin, and pain.
This past week, my wife and I got the opportunity to go to Oklahoma for my company's Christmas party, and an added blessing for us was to be able to visit Grammy Hunt with Caspian and Adelaide. It was a joy to see her light up as she interacted with and impacted our little ones. She mentioned to me how it is a sweet sorrow that we only got to be there for a week. The kids grow so fast, and the next time we see her they will have grown both in maturity and physically. How I wish we could spend more time with her.
Grammy Hunt is overjoyed that Rachel and I are going to Zambia to serve by teaching at Central Africa Baptist University and serving in the local church. I'm certain she will be the most faithful to pray for us. I believe that she and the friends and family we leave behind share in what we are doing by sacrificing.
What are they sacrificing? They are sacrificing time spent with their loved ones, the joy of watching their grandkids grow up, and the moments sharing life with their friends around the Thanksgiving table. I firmly believe that the friends and family that hold the ropes for us share in anything that God does through us in Zambia. God sees and will reward them for their sacrifice.
Going to Zambia is a sweet sorrow for us. We will miss moments with Resurrection Church and our family, but we look forward to eternity where we get to celebrate with each other and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Over Everything!
Austin & Rachel Hunt
