(joyfulmysteries note: I feel honored to introduce this post today, and honestly didn’t know where to start. But I guess I’ll share that the writer today is one of my dearest closest friends, but is also one of my husbands closest friends…in fact they have been friends since they were in kindergarten. They traveled together through out school, and even went to the same private high school 30 minutes from where they both grew up. They went and served in ministry together for a year, and went to the same college after that. They lived in the same Co Op together, and then he was roommates with her (now) husband. She could have just been his friend, but she became mine. After college we moved to the same town, and we have so many memories. When we moved for Dyp’s job our friendship stayed strong. Angel is…She is funny and kind. She is an absolute prayer warrior. She sang “The a Greatest Love of All” when I was in labor with Daniel(her godson) to me, because I asked(she also sang it at a Talent show when she was 12, and I tell the story as if I was there). I used to hang up her and Dyp’s homecoming picture on our fridge whenever they’d come over. Every year I’ve watched God call her out of her comfortable and she has listened even when it’s been hard. Especially when it has been. When she and Bryce told us they were considering becoming missionary’s we weren’t surprised, In fact I believe their entire lives have been a life of service. When we are all together, with 8 kids between us, we all stand in awe of the power of lifelong friendships that survive chaos and life, the joy and the sadness. We are so thankful for the gift of Angel and Bryce. We are so proud to call them friends. But they are also family to us. Thank you Angel for your real today, and thank you for incredible friendship. You inspire me everyday.) 
My Real
My real is this…my wonderful husband Bryce and I, along with our four children are about one week away from being homeless and unemployed. This is actually by choice. We are leaving everything and everybody we know and love to become Catholic, foreign missionaries. Again also by choice. Well, sort of. We are trying to do what God calls us to do.
 The funny thing about all of this is even in the face of such huge change, my struggles remain the same. In parenting, in being a wife, daughter, sister, friend, Christian, person, I am constantly aware of the ways I lack. I am not good enough, funny enough, smart enough, fill-in-the-blank enough. I will often hold back from any given situation because of my anxieties, my fears, my lack. 

 Here’s the thing though, I am actually not enough, only God is enough. Only with God is there no lack. He is full. So while I am focused on my failures, I’m missing the constant abundance He is placing before me. If I am thinking of the ways I fail in parenting my children, I am missing their easy, confident love for me, their laughter, their joy, even their forgiveness. If I am thinking about how my amazing husband deserves a wife that is kinder, holier, and more beautiful, then I am not recognizing his incredible service to me and even the ways he struggles so I am failing even more! 

 What God, I think, is trying to show me is that if I am focused on me, I am missing out on Him. God does not love me because I am good enough, funny enough, smart enough. He did not give me these children, this husband, these friends and even this desire to become a missionary because I have earned it, because I am enough for them. He gave them to me because He loves me completely and He knows that I can be closer to Him, if I listen to Him, if I say yes to Him. I am free when I am living completely in His love and abundance. I am free when I realize I can never be enough and allow His Grace to take over. I am so far from achieving this it is ridiculous, but they say admitting you have a problem is the first step. 2 Cor 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, power is made perfect in weakness.”

 If you are interested in reading more about our family and our missionary call and journey, feel free to follow our blog at HerrmannFamilyMissions.blogspot.com or on http://www.facebook.com/bryce.herrmann. Or just check out Family Missions Company, they are an amazing group that we will be serving with on this journey! 

  

My name is Angel and I am a daughter of the “One True King”. I was raised in a small town in Southern Oregon called Wilderville, as the youngest of 6 kids. My wonderful husband and I have been blessed with 4 children on earth and 2 in heaven. God is apparently shaking things up in our life and calling us to give away most of our possessions, leave most of what we know and love and take this bit of craziness on the road. Our goal is to share the love of Jesus & our love for His Catholic Church as well as live in solidarity with the poor we are serving. If you can spare a prayer or two for us, we’d greatly appreciate it!