Living in Twilight and other happenings

This week has been chock full of lots of wonderful things. I'm about finished with rough draft #2 and I've gotten to participate in several fun activities. Friday evening we had a cookout at the London Mennonite Centre, despite the threat of rain. It was a great chance for all of us to enjoy the garden. Later on that night, I went with several women from the LMC to a quilt exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum. I wish they would have allowed photographs in the exhibit, because the quilts were breathtaking, a good mix of history and art. My biggest event this week was the opportunity I was given to provide a short message during the Sunday service at Wood Green Mennonite Church.

I was asked to share a little of my story and where I see God moving in my life right now. I also wanted to share it with you all. Many thanks to my awesome prayer partner Bethany for reading it over for me. And if you are part of the Springdale congregation, I borrowed something from Pastor Mark. Can you discover what it is?

Grace and peace to you from of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. My name is Regina Wenger and I was asked this afternoon to share a little bit about myself and my journey here to Wood Green Mennonite Church. The first thing about me, and you can probably tell by my accent is that I am an American. I call the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia home. I have a wonderful and supportive family, group of friends, and home congregation. In December of 2009 I graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a degree in History, Secondary Education, and Bible. Instead of finding a job substitute teaching, I decided to spend a semester studying and serving in Europe.

Beginning in late January, my friend, Lena Risser, and I headed to Prague in the Czech Republic. I began taking two graduate classes at International Baptist Theological Seminary and we both started some service and relationship building on behalf of Eastern Mennonite Missions. At the end of March, Lena traveled back to South Korea to continue a ministry she had begun using her gift of music. For visa reasons and because the London Mennonite Centre has a fantastic Anabaptist library, I ended up coming here to London.

Now I could spend the remaining time I have providing you with more biographical detail or delving into my research topics, but that would undoubtedly be rather dull, I feel I have something more to share with you this afternoon.

Last Sunday, through a series of mishaps, Chris Adams and I wandered into a Quaker meeting. We spent almost an entire hour in complete silence. Since then, I believe God has been working at my heart. When I fly back home on June 17, I have no idea what I’ll be doing. I am a planner by nature, so to me this prospect is more than a little disturbing. It is in dealing with this concern that God has been teaching me this week.

Sometimes I like to listen to music when I write and this week I discovered the song “Living In Twilight” by The Weepies, and the lyrics spoke to the concerns of my heart. According to the dictionary, not only is twilight the period of time following the sunset or a series of young adult novels, but it can also be defined as a time of ambiguity and obscurity. In that sense, I am living in twilight right now. Not knowing if I’ll get a teaching job or what to do if I don’t weighs heavily on my mind. To me June 17^th is the nightfall of the complete unknown. It is this mindset that God has been altering for me this week. He is teaching me through the spiritual disciplines of patience and trust to step out into the twilight.

I am slowly learning to embrace the unknowns of my future. It is a day-to-day exercise in learning to trust God. While I know that uncertainty is a condition common to young adulthood, it is by no means exclusive to us. We all have moments in twilight. However, I am finding that as the night of my self-imposed deadline approaches, the light of God begins to shine more brilliantly. I am continually amazed by its vastness. I know that after twilight and the night, God will break forth in a glorious new way. But first, I have to let go of the previous day and enter into the twilight. Join me around the Lord’s Table and we can walk this journey together. (It was a communion Sunday)

Well, there you have it. I continue to covet your prayers in this season of twilight. Thank you for all that you have done for me and continue to do. Until next week...