History
17 years ago, we prayed that our family would be able to serve
together on a mission field. Once the door opened, we made preparations
for the trip
From that trip, two of them
attended schools outside of the United States. One served, for a year,
overseas. Today, each one is internationally-minded and open to serving
and supporting.
The prayers and preparation
paid off!
Real Time
Well it's time to pray and prepare
again.
Again we will travel with
teenager. This time, none of them share our DNA. But each one has a
place in my heart.
I cannot wait to see what they
learn about themselves ... other people and their culture ... and about the
love of God!
In the meantime, it's time for
preparation! Here's what God has been teaching me.
Preparation is more that
planning for the future. It involves the past and the present.
The Past
Is there anything that I've
holding back from God? It's easy to loose sight of the big picture when
there's a challenge right in front of me. The goal can't be to just get
through the challenge. There's more! What is God trying to teach
me? What control is He asking me to surrender?
The Present
I've been pulled over three
times for speeding ... and each time it was less than 10 miles from home!
I was so busy trying to get to my destination, there was no attention
given to the present moment. So what needs to be done ... right now?
With so much to do before leaving, I can't afford to speed through my To
Do list and miss what God may want me to hear today.
The Future
This is the thing I can focus
on too much ... and it's the one thing I know nothing about. This has to
be put in God's hands. There can be some guesses (for packing).
There can be some serious studies (six message to be given and two
through an Interpreter). Ultimately, will I be open to God's
interventions and interruptions? Will I be teachable? Will I be
careful not to hide behind my role as a leader and listen for God to an speak
to me as His child?
