"Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'See I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and fighting men.'" ~Joshua 6:2
One of the true things about me is that when fatigued all the world seems bleak. Today, was no exception. The combination of jet-lag, time-chance and poor sleep leading up to my departure have been a perfect storm. So, today, when I was very nearly not allowed through the immigration checkpoint and threatened with deportation should I break any of the rules of my visa status, it was easy for me to run towards worst-case scenarios. It was also the opportunity for my first lesson in missionary life: Trust God.
My first instinct is to be afraid and modify my plans, to melt internally and believe in the worst possible outcome. So I make the conscious choice to trust. I know that the God who is greater than all the world's governments has brought me here and will keep me here as long as he wishes. So I choose not to be afraid. Not to withdraw, but to go forward.
I am sure there will come moments when the hurtles are greater than one suspicious passport agent, and the discouragement is not the result of jet-lag. And so now, I will practice trusting God, in preparation for when I'll need that posture desperately.
Tiff: This is surely the appropriate posture and attitude. More waves will surely peak and come at you in the near and distant future. I'll pray you catch up on diet, sleep and exercise soon so you are your delightful self to all who meet you--from Day 1 on.
ReplyDeleteSteve