Hindsight is 20/20

They say that hindsight is 20/20.  I am beginning to see how this applies to God too.  Much of how we learn and grow in God is that we look at past experiences and why they were so hard, or what we learned from them.  I think it is even safe to say that being a Christian in general is very retrospective.

Sometimes you wonder what you are doing here.  Why has God brought you to this place and what is he trying to show you.  And then the smallest event can occur and it’s not clear until after the fact when you are connecting the dots. 

My teammate Marisa started a church in Kapsoya, one of the communities where we did outreaches.  Our team had been preaching and ministering there the past couple of weeks.  Yesterday morning, our last morning in El Doret, I contemplated whether I would go to the Kapsoya church, or to Latter Glory Church where we have been loving on the street kids.  I decided that I wanted to go to the Kapsoya church, until I learned that everyone was going into town for lunch and use the Internet.  I had no need to use the Internet or any desire to stay in town all afternoon, but when we all leave the house we of course have to lock it up. 

Well, I could at least take my computer into town with me and get some work done.  The only problem was that I was not comfortable taking my computer into the Kapsoya chu because of how dark it was.  So I then decided I was going to go to William’s church where it was a little bit safer to bring my computer with me. I told my teammates I was going to Latter Glory and began to packed up my stuff for town.  After I was already, and my teammates, Marisa, Janina and Elizabeth had left for the other community, I learned that another squad member was staying home because she felt sick.  That meant that the building would be open and I could get back in after church and not have to go to town.  Well I dropped my stuff and ran to catch up to my teammates so I could go to the other church. 

When I caught up to them they all started laughing.  I asked what was so funny and they said that they really felt like God was telling them I was supposed to go to that church this morning, but no one wanted to say anything.  I was like ok God, what do you want me to do today?  Mentally preparing myself, I was thinking I was going to heal some sick person or cast out a demon, you know the big stuff. 

When we got to the community we went around and invited people to come to church.  I saw this one group of 4 men, who had obviously been drinking.  I told them about church and invited them to come.  They asked me my name, I told them Steph and asked them theirs.  One of the men’s name was Christopher, but he told me that he had to leave and do some other things today.  I told him, well if you can put them off, I really hope you come to church. God wants you there. 

Church started and I didn’t see any of those men and figured they decided not to come.  After the service we prayed for people and had some ministry time.  Janina told me that we were invited to this man, David’s apartment for a coke.  When we got there I found out that he was a strong believer, had a great job, and was so open to serving brothers and sisters in Christ.  I also learned that a few minutes before the service ended Christopher had shown up and was talking to Janina with  David as her translator.  Christopher too had a good job, he was even quite giving and gave financially to charities, and tithed at church, but he had a problem.  He drank.  He didn’t even know why he drank, but he spent most of his money on alcohol.  While Janina was talking to him she said she felt God tell her to ask David to be his mentor.  David was more than willing to oblige and traded information with Christopher. 

As I was hearing this story I was still questioning why God was so adamant about me going to this church today.  When she had finished I nonchalantly mentioned, “that’s awesome, I was the one who invited Christopher”.  That statement sent my teammates into a roar of laughter and excitement. I honestly didn’t get it at first until Marisa hit me and said “THAT’S WHY YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO COME TODAY!  I know had any of us met and invited him he wouldn’t have come, but you said something that struck him and he came”. 

I thought back to what I said and remembered saying “God wants you there.”  Whether that was what struck a chord or not, it was true.  God wanted Christopher there.  God wanted to use Christopher and set him up with a teacher and Christian support through this man David.

Here I thought God was going to do something flamboyantly huge!!! When in reality, it was a few words that I didn’t even know I was saying that answered his call.  Looking back on the whole experience it sounds huge!  We were instruments in God choosing Christopher for something great, and didn’t even know it until later. 

Sometimes the smallest things can turn a person’s life around.  You may not see it, but words do have an impact, so ask yourself, how does God want to me you today?