Vaccinate: To produce immunity from a disease.
Wow God. Can I just brag on our Father for a moment? Today I have been amazed by His love and attention to the details of my little life. (Skip to the end if you need to, that’s the good part.) Here’s the story:
I decided that today would be a good day to schedule an appointment to start the immunization, vaccination, “stick me with all those things so that I don’t get crazy foreign diseases “process. I walked into a global health place and proudly announced that I was going to 11 countries next year. As I listed them (I had to spell the first 4 for the receptionist) the doctor came out of her office and looked at me all wide-eyed. They had a billion questions about the Race, which I loved sharing all about. They scheduled an appointment for the end of June. Being the worrier that I can be, I asked all naively if there was any way to know what the cost was going to be ahead of time. At this point the very kind, chatty receptionist got strangely quiet. She said that the first one they probably will start me with (one of many) costs $278. And you need it twice. Pump the breaks. I guess I knew that this was coming, but hearing it was a little more shocking. Here is what happens in my brain:
Dear Lord, thank you for this opportunity. I know that You will provide. I know that God will…. I know…wait…one shot is going to cost me over $500?! AHHHHHHHHHH. Where am I going to find money to start this next month? I haven’t even paid for my passport renewal yet! Passport. I need a photo for that. How is my hair? Maybe the receptionist will take my picture with my passport photo app. No. It rained. My hair is probably a frizz ball. Hmmm…did I shower this morning? This morning I was running late. Did I let the dog out? He’s so fluffy. I love him. I wonder if the shot the vet gave him to help with his gum disease is working. Shots. Immunization. Japanese encephalitis. $500. AHHHHHHH.
Yep. That happened. Oh, how quickly the disease of doubt can distract me.
I got back to my office and turned on my computer. The first thing that popped up was a exciting news from a dear brother who is doing an awesome missional internship this summer. He is fundraising and I immediately knew that I had to help. How? I have to find $500 so that I don’t get Japanese ecepapotato! $50. God told me to give him $50. 10% of the $500. “Do it. I’ve got this.” Those seem to be God’s favorite words to me recently. As I typed in my info the stress and doubt I had allowed to populate like germs in my system seemed to retreat. God’s voice, His promises, His love – they produce immunity from this disease of doubt.
Shortly after this a man came into my church office asking about my volunteer schedule. I had a support letter addressed to his family lying on my desk and I handed it to him as he headed out. He stopped, turned around, and asked if I had a website where he could find a place to donate. Then he asked me to pull it up for him and he handed me his credit card info and instructed me to put…who wants to guess?
500$ in my World Race support account. Ha. Only our God.
God shows off his incredible creativity in the faces of the kids I work with every day. He showed His amazing heart for us when He sacrificed His only son for us. Today he showed His attention to detail and grace in my doubt through a donation that matched the exact number that I had been stressing about all morning.
Heavenly Father – I am in awe of You. I am so in love with who You are and what you have in mind for Your children. The blessings that you pour out on me are so undeserved. I thank you and I praise you. Lord, I want to be daily made immune to the diseases of our flesh. The diseases of doubt, selfishness, worry, stress. The diseases that weaken me and separate me from You.
Vaccinate me.
