“You will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
My Father God works in a variety of ways, and it seems it’s often not in the way that we expect Him to. If there is one overall lesson that I’ve learned so far in my World Race journey is that God sure likes surprising us! Sometimes it’s in a situation where we have to surrender and His plan comes together entirely different than we expected. Other times our plans together much the way we expected them to, however, somehow even in that place God manages to catch us off guard with an unexpected blessing, divine opportunity, or moment when heaven touches earth.
In my fundraising process so far, my attempts haven’t always been as monetarily fruitful as I’d hope. In the moments of waiting and striving to make happen what is ultimately beyond my human ability to control, anxiety comes knocking at the door of my heart.
However, in His own almighty way, and not necessarily the way I would anticipate He would, He brings confirmation. It’s those moments that catch me off guard, fill me with abundant joy, and allow me the privilege of a glimpse into heaven on earth.
Yesterday, as I stood steadfastly by the table of sweet goodies I and a couple friends spend the whole day previously baking, I stood anxiously as long spells passed with no sales or results. As I waited, I prayed, sometimes in anticipation and other times in desperation, “Lord, if you could just bring the right person along.”
Looking back over the hours I stood by that table and the physical results of those efforts, it wasn’t as successful as I would have prayed for. As I loaded by car full of the baked goods, and headed on my way though I realized it was not all for naught. Three encounters reigned forefront in my mind of undeniable confirmation.
One woman who practically danced as she gushed with excitement to hear I was going on the World Race because she had a personal connection. Another girl who shared in the passion and purpose as a friend of hers had gone on the World Race. Lastly, but not leastly, a woman whom I was privileged to touch her heart in a place of need simply coming from a place of familiarity and understanding.
These moments, the ones I like to fondly call “God appointments”, are vastly beyond the confirmation I needed, because these connections were not by accident or coincidence. It was the Lord with His master plan affirming, “I called you to be here, and people are the reason.”
I pray that first and foremost, I seek out these “God appointments”. They encounters will be what I call success, and the rest beyond that, well, I’ll leave that in the Father’s hand.
