“God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time. A sense of destiny is our birthright as followers of Christ. God is awfully good at getting us where He wants us to go. But here’s the catch: The right place often seems like the wrong place, and the right time feels like the wrong time.” -Mark Batterson, In the Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day
Our squad recently received news that due to the increasing severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, all World Race squads will be returning to the States. Our Race is being cut short by three months and we will no longer be traveling to South America. Heartbreaking is an understatement.
Our squad is grieving.
Our squad is grieving the rest of our Race. We’re grieving what ministry could have looked like in South America; the hearts that could have been reached. We’re grieving the time we thought we had left together. We’re grieving any and all post-Race plans.
But we’re rejoicing in the same breath.
Rejoicing that we serve a God who isn’t surprised by the things we didn’t see coming. Rejoicing that His ways are higher than our ways. Rejoicing that although we don’t know what’s next, the Father does.
Rejoicing that we have a community rallying around us. Rejoicing that we’ve had eight beautiful and life changing months on the field together. Rejoicing that we’ve seen miracles. That we’ve felt the Lord’s presence and seen Him move in ways we never imagined possible.
Rejoicing that the Great Commission doesn’t exclude the United States. Rejoicing that we’re still going into month nine of our Race, it just looks wildly different than anticipated.
Rejoicing in the truth that even though the United States feels like the wrong place at the wrong time, we can rest assured that our God is always and forever positioning us in the right place at the right time for our good and His glory.
Grief and rejoicing are not mutually exclusive when you serve a God as loving as ours. Both belong.
He’s meeting us where we’re at, at this intersection of grief and praise. He’s wiping our tears and holding us tight as we seek His face and His goodness in this situation. He’s reminding us that He’s a good dad who loves His kids and has their best interest at heart.
It’s hard. But He’s in the hard stuff. This situation doesn’t feel good, but the Lord is. Forever and always.
