One year ago I wrote a blog called God Showed Up in a North Face Jacket. It was the story of Michael, a man Dave and I met at REI while shopping for gear, a man who gave us more encouragement than he could probably imagine.
At the time, Michael shared that he planned to go to Thailand for a short bit before moving on to his passion: working with street kids in Nepal. He wasn’t sure how long he would be in Thailand but felt that it would be a stepping stone to Nepal.
I never thought I would see Michael again. Our route at the time was not scheduled to visit Nepal, and the world is an awfully big place.
Or so I thought.
Fast forward to this past month and I found myself working with an organization in Mae Sot, Thailand called Outpour Movement: the same organization where Michael currently works.
First of all, God’s pretty awesome. He left no loose ends in this situation but brought a seemingly small encounter back full circle.
Initially, I thought that perhaps it was my turn to bless Michael, my chance to in some small way repay him for all he had done for us. But as the month continued, I found that instead he continued to be a blessing to me.
Michael is an amazing man of God who is truly pursuing His heart. He is madly in love with the King and that is obvious in his words and actions. Michael is passionate about the Muslim population in Mae Sot and is actively seeking personal relationships with those around him.
He reminded me that sometimes God changes dreams. He’ll take your goal and adjust it to better suit His purpose, but all the while you realize that what is happening is what you’ve wanted. Because what is wanted is what’s best, and what is best is God’s will.
So thank you, Michael, for living out a beautiful example of the Christian walk: of truly trusting in God and learning the lessons that come along the way. Thank you for being lighthearted with our group and for having those serious conversations that bring life and light. Thank you for reminding me that even when I’m in the midst of my dreams changing, and even when that’s hard, that God has His best in mind for me. And that’s all I want.
Want to know more about what Michael's doing? Visit his site: www.missionHEir.com
