Praise be to God how He cares about the small little details of our lives. I am amazed how much He pays attention to the small details. It seems as if everywhere that step foot- He places me in the path of people who know people that I know. The Lord continues to give me favor- not only in ministry, but with my needs and desires. Just this past week, the Lord healed my broken little toe. I fell off the hamack at El Puente in Granada, Nicaragua. Who can say that they broke their little toe during quiet time when only a week prior they climbed the steepest volcano in Central America? My God is the Great Physician and my provider. Walking with the Lord is a step by step journey. I am learning to let go of planning out every detail of my life for He has shown me time and time again that His plans are far more interesting and exciting than I could contrive. I love that my God is adventerous . . . all throughout scripture He chooses to use people whom man wouldn’t have choosen, situations that we wouldn’t have expected, and solutions that we wouldn’t have forseen to reveal His glory and bring His people closer to His heart. This morning I think of Queen Esther, Ruth, Moses, Jacob, Abraham [just to name a few] and how my Abba Father in His soveriegnty used their circumstances and worked through all the details to bring glory to His name- which the end goal is to bring His people closer to Him.
Our God desires a relationship with us.
He is the perfect gentleman.
His character astounds me.
He never changes.
He is the Alpha and Omega.
I see His craftmenship all around me.
His artist’s signature imprints every living creation.
He spoke and it was. And it was good.
I love that my God cares about His daughter so much that He shows me time and time again that He is in the small details. Looking back on the healing of my toe, I am thankful that this occured- especially during this past week. God used my brokenness physically to show me how much He cares about the little details in my life. After a day of walking around the city of Granada, my toe’s condition had worsened. In the morning, we thought it was sprained, but by the evening, I couldn’t bend it or apply pressure without pain. Immediately when I arrived to dinner with my squad, a group of my squadmates gathered around me and prayed for healing. As they prayed, my pain subsided and I was overwhelmed with God’s peace which passes all understanding. Soon after the group stopped praying and went back to dinner, a guy on my squad said to a few people standing by “let’s continue to pray.”
So here I was standing in a courtyard under the velvet black sky adorned with brilliant stars, taking in the past 2 months on the race and this precious moment. As my 3 of my brothers and 1 of my sisters in Christ were praying, God began to remind me of this analogy. In Ephesians 4:1-16, Jesus Christ of Nazareth compared the physical human body to the body of Christ. Think about the intricate design of the human body. All anatomical and physiological components complement each other and compile the human body. Every part has a function. A slight deviation from your body’s “normal” can cause pain, a health problem, a limitation. In my case, my little toe threw off my balance- my ability to walk firmly was compromised. As soon as my brothers and sisters recognized my hurt, they gathered around me and prayed.
What a beautiful picture of the church- the body of Christ! We each are different parts of the body- each of which has a different purpose. Together we work together to form the body. We cannot stand alone and have the same purpose as we would when we are part of the body. My physical need was noticed by my brothers and sisters on Friday. Their boldness and compassion to pray for God’s healing affirmed me as a valued memeber of the body of Christ. By the way, the next day my toe had significantly improved. Nurses on my squad were astounded at how much it had healed in 24 hours.
I share this testimony with you to attest how God is still working. He is alive.
I didn’t expect to post another blog before my arrival to Panama, but last night the Lord provided us a place to stay in San Jose, Costa Rica. We stayed with a missionary family who is related to one of my squadmates. They welcomed us like family with a homecooked meal, warm showers, a place to sleep, and internet. And if that wasn’t enough- this family has served in Eastern and Southern Africa and their son was an intern at my home church in Birmingham- the Church of Brook Hills and is interested in going to Samford next fall. Again God is providing divine appointments along the journey.
He has ordered my steps.
I sit here amazed at how good my Lord is and in awe of His attention to details. Today I continue my travels to Panama where my team will begin our 3rd month of ministry.
I was reminded over the weekend that I am need of $1,000 by December 31st in order to reach my next fundraising goal. I am confident that my God will provide the funds while I am serving in the Panamanian jungle. My teammate Rachel Duff- Banks is also below the fundraising goal.
If you would like to support Rachel or I, click on our “support tab” on our blogs for donations to that specific individual. All donations should be tax-deductible.
Thank you to all who have supported me financially and or prayerfully. Your role in this journey is of vital importance. May God’s grace and peace be with you during this Christmas season.
You remain in my thoughts and prayers.
Walking in His grace,
Jacinda
