by

Eva Burkholder

For about a year and a half, I spent Mondays with my sweet granddaughter—feeding her, playing with her, putting her down for naps, changing her, reading to her, noticing every step of her growth and development.

About the same time, I earnestly began compiling a book titled In Every Moment: Recounting God’s Goodness in Overseas Life. My sweetie’s smiles, hugs, cuddles, kisses, and chuckles motivated me to get it done. 

Because I wrote it for her. So that she might one day read the accounts of her dad, uncle, Gram, and Granddad. And that she would know the God who orchestrated everything and cared for us in every moment of our twelve years serving as missionaries in Indonesia.

I knew that if we stopped telling the stories of what God has done for us, people would forget and go their own way. Just like the Israelites did after their leader Joshua died.

Another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. (Judges 2:10–12 NIV)

Somewhere along the way, they stopped remembering and ceased telling the stories of God. I did not want to repeat their folly. I wanted to follow the psalmist’s instructions to recount what God has done:

We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. So the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. (Ps 78:4,6–7)

For months, I poured over prayer letters, personal correspondence, and journals from those years overseas. I remembered when God answered my prayer to provide financial partners. I recalled how he gave me the strength to face new things and accepted me without fault, even after I made so many mistakes. He was my strong tower when riots broke out and my peace when we did not know if we could return to our location. Raising children overseas added to the challenge of parenting, and God gave me wisdom whenever I asked. He protected me, carried me close to his heart, and loved me lavishly. Amid evacuation, sickness, deaths of co-workers, and little fruit from my labors, God remained good.

As I looked back over my years living as a foreigner, I became convinced anew that the God who was faithful and good to me then is still with me now. And he will continue to act according to his character in the days to come as I face the uncertainties of growing older and joining those who have gone before me into Jesus’s presence.

My memories eventually became a devotional-memoir. Each of the twelve weeks opens with a liturgy (a written prayer to pray aloud) introducing the broad topic for that section. These are followed by six stories that describe both the remarkable and routine moments of cross-cultural life and illustrate the truths I learned about God’s unchanging character. Reflection questions and an invitation to recount your own faith stories conclude each day’s reading.

I describe In Every Moment like this in the introduction:

This book is not about a revival or even one church plant. It’s not a how-to manual based on miraculous events. This is a recounting of how God revealed himself and transformed me when we stepped out in faith to be a light to the nations. It’s a testimony to God. These stories represent many, many others who serve God faithfully around the world and whose stories will never be told. I recount them because God uses ordinary people like me to build his church. Each one of us plays a small part in our corner of the world for a tiny slice of history.

Besides my own family, I wrote In Every Moment for other missionaries—ordinary people like myself—who follow God to far-flung places but now wonder if he’s worth it. I share my stories to remind them that they are not alone. God sees, protects, guides, and transforms them as they obey and follow him.

If you haven’t served overseas, but are a parent or grandparent longing to pass on your faith, or simply someone needing reassurance that God is still present, powerful, and good, In Every Moment is for you, too. I hope my stories will inspire you to remember the ways you have seen God’s goodness in your own life and to share them with your circle of influence.

Together, we can help ensure that future generations will know our great God and Savior, and faith will endure.

What has God done that you need to remember today? Who can you tell of God’s goodness?

In Every Moment: Recounting God’s Goodness in Overseas Life is available on Amazon in print and ebook.

Bio:

Eva Burkholder has been teaching and mentoring women for over thirty-five years. Her experience as a third culture kid, cross-cultural worker, and member care provider adds a global dimension to her study of Scripture and Storytelling. She is the author of Favored Blessed Pierced, In Every Moment, and the co-author of Grit to Stay Grace to Go. She and her husband live in Texas and enjoy spending time with their two sons, their wives, and their grandchildren. Connect with Eva through her blog: www.evaburkholder.com, Facebook, and Instagram.