Ever question a few days after what you were thinking when you committed?
Ever felt like you were out of your ever living mind?
This was me today. I got home from church and the pressure was on. I felt the warfare around me.
I wanted to colapse. Instead I just shot up a quick prayer.
I had the evening off (it's rare I don't work on a Sunday night) so I decided to go to a church in the next small town over. I got there and couldn't get myself to go in. So I went with the "flow" and went to the other church down the road. I had less resistance there…
I walk in and first thing I see…a trifold board with Vietnam written on it. I began to study the table. It became evident almost immediatly that I was looking at a missionaries information. I smile. I make eye contact. The conversation is started.
Over the next 2 minutes, a God connection was made. See, on my current route, I am going to Vietnam. I found out that this couple is a contact for the World Race within the country! HOW CRAZY! Almost half of that denomiations missionaries come from this church!
Back up 3 years. I wake up in desperation. I had a dream that I knew was from the Lord. See, I was in this house with 2 of my really good friends and a bunch of other familiar faces. All of a sudden I see smoke…then I see flames. The house was on fire. The flames were raging. I tell everyone to get out of the house. My one friend refuses to go. She see's the flames yet she is being stubborn! She knows she is in immenient danger and refuses to go. Everyone else heeds the warning and gets out of the house. Our one mutual friend makes it to the door when she looks back and sees the stubborn friend refusing to budge. I end up grabbing my friend. She digs her feet into the ground trying to prevent me from moving her. We both make it out alive. Covered in smoke, barely breathing, skin blackend, we make it out.
So, this missionary from Vietnam begins to speak. His message? Firefighters. Jude 22-23a, "Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire…"
To go over every little detail that brings this whole picture into place would take all night and about 5 solid pages of information so I won't go there but I would like to hit some basic things said that resonated within…
1) It's one of the largest unreached people groups in the world…and the majority of the population is under 25! (I have always felt God calling me to that region of the world…and I've always felt the call to go to the darkest places.)
2) Give a year, pray about a lifetime. (I'm going for a year, I've been praying about a lifetime…)
3) They need laborers. (A primary verse God has spoken to me).
4) It's never been easier to make converts. And it's never been harder to make disciples. (My heartbeat is making disciples)
5) Firefighters go in when people are running out and firefighters must be willing to lay their life down. (My dream!)
So, I've said all this to say one thing. God always knows and He always leads us down to the small details of where to go for a Sunday evening service. He always knows when we need that brief moment of reassurance and confirmation and strength and encouragement and yeah…He just always knows.
Today, I am grateful. I am grateful to be in step with Him. I'm grateful I am a sheep and can hear HIS voice clearly.
