Island Zapatera- Round 2
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Using the moon as our source of light, we climbed into the boat that would take us back to Granada. We had just spent another 4 days on Island Zapatera, and were heading back at 5:00 am this morning.
With my backpack in my lap, I waited for the motor to start. But instead, I heard Pastor Ulice say something in Spanish, and one of our teammates said, “He wants us to pray for safe travels.” He begins praying in Spanish, and we all pray out loud in English. I can tell bits and pieces of what he is saying.
I hear the words “Gracias Senor” over and over again. I know what that means… “Thank You Lord.”
I just realized in that moment that each time we traveled to and from the island, the pastor always stops to pray before starting the engine.
What if we prayed before starting our cars each morning?
Nothing fancy or time-consuming…just a simple prayer of thanksgiving and protection.
Why do we only pray when things aren’t going our way? Our cars usually work just fine, so we don’t even think to pray before heading out of our driveways; however, the motor on Pastor Ulice’s boat doesn’t work a lot of the time, which must be why he prays it works each time he starts it. The Pastor is really relying on God to get him to his destination.
The Bible says blessed are the poor because they realize their need for Him. That’s what is so beautiful to me about the Island…the people who live there depend on God for everything. It’s harder for us to depend on God for everything because our cars usually work and we always have food on the table.
We pray if we get a flat tire, if our car won’t start, or if we get in a wreck…but the Bible says to “pray without ceasing.” That means to pray constantly…through the good and bad times. I admit that I don’t. Most of the time I pray when I need something from God. But I want to start praying without ceasing.
And to take it a step further…what if, once we got to each destination, we took a moment to thank God for getting us safely there?
I’m going to start practicing more prayer, thanksgiving, and acknowledging the Holy Spirit in my life…would you like to join me?
Thank you Lord for getting us back to Granada safely. Thank you for everything you’ve taught my teammates and I while on the island. I lift up the people back home…may they have hearts of thanksgiving no matter what their circumstances. May they acknowledge you in every situation. May they share their faith with nonbelievers with courage and compassion. May they realize their need for you on a daily basis. Thank you for Pastor Ulice and his family, and the others on the island who have touched our lives in a mighty way. Thank you for no coincidences.
