I’m on my way home. I can’t believe it. Alumni team leading has been so incredible, and now it’s time for me to be in the States until I go back out in August. Over this season God has been challenging me to be more bold with people and to let Him turn day to day moments into eternal moments. Moments that the Word tells us He has already prepared for us before the world even began.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10 ESV
So here I am, on my way back home. My time is done with G squad, but that doesn’t mean that God stopped challenging me with the day to day. Today God challenged me, but more importantly He showed up. It all started when I boarded my plane back to the US. The plane was late and the crew was in a big hurry. I was the second to last one on the plane and as I passed business class, I saw there were multiple seats that were empty. I thought to myself, “Man, I bet I could talk one of the flight attendants into letting me sit here. That would be so nice to sit in business class for this 17 hour flight instead of economy.” I tried to look for a stewardess to see if they would let me sit there, but I couldn’t find one. I was disappointed I didn’t get to make that happen, but I begrudgingly made my way to my assigned seat.
As I was on my way to my seat, I misread the row number. Not only that, but a man waved me in asking if he was in my seat because he was sitting in the isle seat hoping he didn’t have to sit in the middle for this 16 hour flight. I tell him that he is indeed in my seat. So he shifts all his belongings to the middle seat, we move all the unused flight blanket/eyemask/headphones from the middle seat to my seat, and it actually took a while for this all to happen. Once I sat down, I realized I was supposed to be in the seat one row behind where I was currently sitting. “Dangit, I just made this guy move all this stuff for nothing. I guess I could just sit here, I was almost the last one on the plane” While there were multiple seats around me empty and I could have easily stayed in that seat, after all we just went through a bunch of inconvenience moving all that stuff over. But, I felt like I needed to go to my seat. I apologise to the man, let him know that actually this is NOT my seat, and I awkwardly shift to the seat directly behind me. Why do I mention all this? Because this God ordained moment almost didn’t happen because of these subtle things. I even remember feeling a little entitled to that business class seat, I was sad that didn’t work out. I wanted to be comfortable, and I felt like I deserved that blessing. But man I’m so glad God kept me in this ordained moment.
I ended up in the isle seat next to an Indian Hindu couple. They seemed nice enough and I settled in for the flight.
Before we take off, the couple in my row ask if they can squeeze by me to get some things out of their bag in the overhead. They needed help grabbing their bag because it was stuffed in the overhead compartment pretty good. I helped grab their bag and the husband proceeds to pull dozens upon dozens of different pills from his bag. I had no idea what these pills were for and he didn’t seem to speak much English, so I didn’t ask.
About 4-5 hours into the flight I have my pillow on the tray table with my face down listening to worship and having some great Jesus time. I get tapped on the shoulder by this man (who’s in the window seat) and he tells me he needs to get out NOW. He tells me that he has leg pain and he needs to get up. I can tell he’s really hurting, so I quickly let him out so he can walk around. I figured he had a bad cramp. He walked around the plane for a minite and I didn’t think anything of it. Since he got me up, I went ahead and used the restroom and then came back to my seat. When I came back to my seat, the husband is standing there holding a bunch of medications and had called the cabin crew over to talk to them about the pain he is having and about the pain meds he is about to take.
He’s in the isle right next to me talking with the crew, I hear the whole thing. Then I feel Holy Spirit wanting to come shake things up. God challenged me to be a little bold in this situation. The husband finishes his conversation with the crew and he turns around to be let into the row while holding the pain pill in his hand. I ask him about his leg pain and he tells me that it’s absolutely unbearable pain, it sounded like he delt with it often. Through his broken (but understandable) English he showed me a 10 inch section of his thigh where he told me he has nerve damage.
I asked him if I could pray for his thigh before he took the pain pill. At first he didn’t understand, he also was a little hard of hearing, so in this already crowded atmosphere where people are trying to sleep, I ask him again but louder. He doesn’t understand. So I say it again, a little louder and explain in more detail how God is still a healing God and shows us His Goodness in that way.
Keep in mind this situation was already quite a scene with this man’s conversation with the crew and I’m sure it was continuing to be quite a scene as I asked if I could pray for him. This was definitely a growing moment for me to be bold in such tight quarters. This man eventually understood what I meant and agreed to let me pray for him. I layed my hand on his thigh and prayed a simple prayer. And honestly I didn’t feel like anything happened. I felt God there, but I honestly wasn’t expecting much of a response from this guy. But I went ahead and asked him anyway. “How do you feel? Does anything feel different?”
He looked very perplexed and said “Yes, my leg is relaxed.”
I was like “What? Really? Any pain?”
He responded “No, none at all. What just happened?”
And then the greater miracle happened. In this 33,000 foot elevation instance of healing opened the door for me to share God’s Love and the simple Gospel with this Hindu man.
Then I felt God tell me to be bolder and challenge this man a bit. The whole time this man was still holding that pain pill. God asked me to be bold and challenge this man not to take the pain pill, but stand on the faith that he was healed. He looked at me like I was a little crazy, (which is pretty true at this point) but then he smiled and said “Ok, I will not take the pill.” He grinned and put the pill in his front shirt pocket.
But now I had a problem. I was only 5 hours into a 16 hour flight and I’m so jacked up by what God’s doing that I can’t sleep! I couldn’t help but worship in my seat and give God thanks. I felt a burden to pray over those seeds of the Gospel that were planted in his life. As I was praying I heard him telling his wife what just happened. Jesus!!!
Over the next 11-12 hours of the flight I asked my new friend how he was doing. The pain never came back. He actually was sleeping shortly after! A little later after that, one of the flight attendants came up and asked him how he was doing to which he responded “All better.” To which she responded back “Thank God!” I wish she knew how true that statement was.
God fought for me to have this divine moment with this man. If I had it my way, I would have had a very comfortable trip back in business class. But God’s funny like that, He wants to make the uncomfortable comfortable. He wants to redefine our comfort zone. He’s calling us to be comfortable being with the hurting and the broken. To desire to sit with the sick and the brokenhearted. To love the unloved and listen to the unheard. To make bringing heaven to earth a normal part of every day. To take hold of those moments everyday where He takes the ordinary and changes lives forever.
*Announcements, Prayer Requests and Needs*
I do have a big announcement! If you didn’t see my last blog, I have been accepted to Squad Lead for August Expedition 2018! That’s right folks, World Race round 3! We will be launching a crew from Spain to the Middle East. This season has been such a crazy and incredible journey and I just found out it’s not over yet. I can’t explain how thankful I am to be able to go out again and invest, disciple, and learn with this next crew. With this new development, there are some new challenges I’m facing.
One is that I’ll be fundraising again (the donation page will be updated soon and I’ll let you know when that is ready) Those donations can be made on this page and are tax deductible!
Secondly, I have been without income for over a year and a half. Most of our expenses are paid while we are out, but there are times when we have to use our own finances and buy our own flights to travel back and forth from trainings to our homes. This has led to my personal accounts/savings to drained pretty dry. If you feel led to support me in this way, your help is so appreciated! Unfortunately those donations are not tax deductible. If you want to be a part of my team in that way you can message me, or donate here:
https://www.paypal.me/EricMusil
Thirdly, and most importantly I need more prayer warriors! There have been countless times this year where I could feel the community praying for us interceding on our behalf. The Lord has opened doors that could have never been possible without your prayers and also those prayers have protected us in some dangerous situations. If you would add me to your prayer list, I would be forever honored for you to partner with me. Your prayers change things!
Prayer requests right now:
-That I can invest in my family well while I have time at home
-Continued boldness into what the Lord calls me to do
-Grace through grieving leaving G squad and this community
-A new love for this next squad
-Provision for this next season
Thank you all so much! I can’t wait to see you in person!
