Walking in Faith

This week I have been having some anxiety. Which is never pleasant. I've struggled with this off and on over the years, and it does seem to run in the family. But, I still wonder why? Sometimes I can pinpoint it to stress or too much caffeine (which could be the case today, although at about three cups of coffee--twice my usual--I don't know if that is a real risk factor). Other times I feel that I am just psyching myself out. Usually, that means I'm getting ahead of God. And often I feel that it is spiritually related. In any case, it definitely becomes spiritually related as it drives me to more and deeper prayer. But it still isn't any fun.
Today, I feel like my anxiety, at least in part, is spiritual in nature. I know that my parents will be off to Russia soon to start their leadership training sessions. This is often a season when I have more anxiety. These sessions are very key to developing the Russian ministry and turning it over to the Russians. There is often spiritual resistance, either through attitudes of those attending, difficulty with the arrangements for the sessions (they usually stay at a retreat center), people not coming at the last minute, travel problems, etc. And there is always an overwhelming pile of work to be done before the sessions (not just work related to the sessions, but office work and other things as my parents end up being gone for 4-6 weeks usually). This will be the first year in a while that I am not around to oversee things at "home" (Ukraine) while they are gone. Thankfully, the office is smaller, but that does still mean that they have to make some extra arrangements.
Please be in prayer for the summer sessions. Pray for the people who are invited, that they will all make it a priority with their wives. Pray that they will come with open hearts and minds willing to learn and grow and be spiritually challenged. Pray for travel mercies. Pray for the place it will be hosted (not quite sure where it will be this year). And please pray especially for my parents: they have had a LOT of travel this year and it is just wearing. Lots of time change and no routine and no real rest when you are not at home in your own environment. But this is what they have been called to do, so they have given up many of the comforts of this life to do that. It is truly a walk of faith, not just for material or spiritual things, but also for emotional and physical sustenance.