What an incredible feeling to be back in Senegal! After a whirlwind tour of the States this past year, getting to see so many beloved family and dear friends, we were literally counting the days to be back home in Dakar.

Our welcome home was a continuous flood of excitement. We flew out of DC with our friends working in the North of Senegal, sharing one last round of Starbucks before boarding. We were greeted by all of our luggage upon landing (a genuine miracle) and another friendly face waiting for us in the parking lot ready to drive us to our new home.

Honestly, the first few days are a hazy blur of driving the kids to school, unpacking boxes and trying to stay awake while dusting.

And then the deluge.

In the middle of the night, innocently making my way to the restroom, my foot sank into

ankle-deep water. The steady rain outside decided it much preferred to take up occupancy in our guesthouse kitchenette and bathroom. Elise and I spent the next midnight hours mopping and expelling the flood.

Isn’t it amazing how the mundane gets mixed in with the marvelous. One moment, loaded with the miraculous, is followed by the ordinary, even frustrating. The rain we’ve been praying would come to Senegal to feed the fields and diminishing rivers arrived. Amen! But the rain also arrived through an invisible crack in the ceiling onto our pillows. Amen?

In each moment is a new golden moment of choice, an opportunity to fix our eyes. Elise and I rejoiced as we heard the rain begin to beat on the rooftop. But as our feet waded “Lake Surprise” we were faced with the same opportunity to praise. Tired and sweaty, and more than a little annoyed, we sat down after driving out the zero-hour flood, put on some worship music and thanked God for allowing us to be back in Senegal, no matter what may lie ahead.

This is the beginning of a new term, a new thousand days starting. There will be great days! Like holding Pastor Benoit and Sophie’s newborn son, Emmanuel Matthew, for the first time. Watching him open his eyes and look into mine. There will be hard times! Like driving in the unpredictable chaos that is Dakar traffic (“driving” might be an overly generous term). In every moment, a renewed opportunity to trust our Lord, who is our refuge (Psalm 62.8).

It is no wonder the Spirit of God inspired the author of Genesis to begin all time demonstrating His sovereignty over chaos (Genesis 1.1-2). There is no contest, no equality between the momentary chaos of this world and the eternal omnipotence of Christ! In the flood, God reveals His everlasting power. In the overwhelming darkness, He speaks, “Let there be light.” Among the unreached nations He proclaims, “This good news of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a witness to all peoples, and then the end will come,” (Matthew 24.14). In all times, good and bad, exciting and challenging, He is in control and He is not surprised. What a great opportunity to rejoice!

Out of nothing, everything.

Can you imagine floating in the vacuum of space, before space and time were formed in the Creator’s words? In a moment, in a flash of creation, the sound of the eternal God’s voice shattered the void. The sun, moon and stars. The planets and plants. The waters and all kinds of life. All these realities bound in space and time burst into existence from the voice of God (Genesis 1-2).

He spoke and out of nothing, everything.

Through Jesus “all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him,” (Colossians 1.16). God set His everlasting self toward honoring His nature and He created us. He made us in His image, blessing us with capability of knowing Him and making Him known to others (Gen. 1.27).

He blessed and out of nothing, everything.

Can you imagine living in the full blessings that God has made for you? The God who made the blue sky is ready to show us dreams and visions beyond our wildest imaginations. Truly, because He is the God who made the blue sky, He is the God of Blue Sky thinking. That is where He is calling you! That is where He is calling us as His people, to meet Him in the blue sky of today’s impossibilities. He is calling us beyond the fetters of fears and prejudices of our broken humanity.

We see the unreached nations and say, “How?” all the while our God of the Blue Sky is saying, “Now.”

We see the false beliefs and oppressive forces at work in this world and we say to ourselves, “Jesus, this world needs you!” and He gently reminds us, all authority in heaven and on earth have been given to Him and He is with us always! (Matthew 28.18, 20b). We rejoice in His presence and power, but forget the commission at the heart of His proclamation. His omnipotence and omnipresence over all things encase His commission for us to “go and make disciples of all nations.”

He commissioned and out of nothing, everything.

We watch as Jesus ascends into the heavens, shoulder to shoulder with the disciples of old. The heroes of the faith who risked all to proclaim the good news of the conquering Christ ready to redeem all from sin.

This is where we meet with our God of the Blue Sky: staring up at the sky shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Christ and believing that out of nothing, everything; believing the unreached peoples waiting under the same sky today will stand with us rejoicing among the everlasting redeemed, worshiping before God’s throne tomorrow (Revelation 7.9)

What is the blue sky vision God is calling you to cast? Where are the lost among the nations Jesus is drawing you to dream about? Where are the people under God’s blue sky He is calling you to live among; believing that although no souls know Him today, tomorrow they will be reconciled to Him through the blood of His cross and the word of our testimony (Colossians 1.20; Revelation 12.11).