Philippians 4:19
The scariest aspect about dedicating the next part of my life to mission work isn’t the foreign culture, facing the religious adversity, or the strenuous living conditions. It is by far the fundraising process. I often find myself wondering “Will God provide for me?” And, sadly, this thought isn’t limited to missionary work. I often find myself questioning if God will provide in many aspects of my life.
Recently, I have begun to try to understand my apprehension. If I have no doubt that God always has my best interest in mind, why do I worry so much about Him providing? I don’t think my uncertainty comes in the form of God providing, but rather in my discernment of God’s will. I need to reevaluate what I am asking God to provide me with: is it His will or mine? If it is strictly my will, I need to set aside my selfish ambitions and listen to God’s calling. If it is His will, I should have no fear for He will provide.
I have been blessed enough to experience God’s providing tonight at my campus’ annual St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital letter sending party, of which I was in charge of. In the weeks leading up to the fundraising event, it was clear that we were not going to have enough people pre-registered to meet our goal participant count which overall means less letters will be sent out to raise funds. The Executive Board tried everything we could think of to increase our numbers, but we were way below our goal. To make matters worse, you usually see only about an 80% attendance rate at the event, lessening our numbers even further. Being constant in prayer regarding this event since before the first day of class this semester, I knew God was listening to me, yet I doubted if He would provide. But still, I am not in the least bit surprised that He went above and beyond my expectations. We had so many students come to write letters who weren’t originally registered that we actually saw an attendance rate of roughly 115%, and all of the students sent numerous, high quality letters.
Needless to say, my heart was overwhelmed with joy. But I think God was trying to teach me a lesson tonight. With this event out of the way, I can begin to dedicate my time to fundraising for the World Race. With the intimidating task of raising $15,500, this is God’s way of reminding me that if this is His will for me, He will provide. I need to be patient in prayer and constant in my efforts, and I will find success financially.
He is God. He is almighty. He will provide.
With God’s Providing Love,
Lindsey
