I've always believed in divine appointments, happenings, coincidences, random occurrences, etc. where the Lord shows up in gigantic ways. I've seen this happen so many times in my life, & have therefore coined this the Domino Effect.
DOMINO 1: Two days ago, P Squad flew into the one city in India where I happen to know two people in the entire country (keep in mind, India is close to the same size as the southeast United States, around a billion people). I was greeted at the Hyderabad airport by a large sign reading "Miss Sarah Ann White," then a very big momma hug from family friends the Amick's. It felt like home from the start 🙂
DOMINO 2: Two of my teammates, Rachel Rae & Allie Akins, had medical issues that needed to be taken care of by good doctors. BUT, the team of 47 of us were going on a 7 hour bus ride from the Hyderabad airport to our ministry site where good doctors were scarce.
DOMINO 3: The Amick's invited the girls, myself because I knew them, & a boy (Matthew Rater, to keep us safe on travel days) to stay with them & take the girls to doctor's they had good connections with in Hyderabad. Seeing that it was a better option to get the girls medicine, we accepted wholeheartedly & began our amazing journey. The first hospital we arrived at was quite an experience. Supposedly, people in India live on what we call "Africa Time". If you have an appointment at 1, that could mean 2, or even 5 o'clock. Time is not of the essence here haha. So the first hospital, Mrs. Amick & I sat around for a good 5 hours while the girls were tossed from nurse to doctor to nurse to doctor. After long hours of waiting, blood tests, & frustrated Americans, no real answers concluded. Therefore, we decided to call it a day & try again tomorrow.
We then proceeded to their home, where we were fed the most amazing Chinese dinner (yes, Chinese food is in India), the fastest internet I've seen on the race so far, comfy beds, hot showers, Keurig coffee, you name it… we were home! It didn't make sense. We were on the World Race, roughing it tough, living around the world with a backpack & tents. Haha we were in one of the nicest neighborhoods in Hyderabad, eating snickers & watching the sun go down on a rooftop that overlooked most of the city. Why were we being blessed so much?
DOMINO 4: The next day we tried again. Both the girls talked to their doctor's back home, got some insight, & then proceeded to try out another doctor in Hyderabad. We finally got some answers!! Both the girls were given medicine with hopeful hearts that they will begin to feel better. The day proceeded where Mrs. Amick treated us to some shopping, Dominoes pizza for dinner haha, then the most amazing Holy Spirit filled night.
DOMINO 5: Upon recently moving to Hyderabad from Tennessee, the Amick's have realized they've been placed here for many more reasons than just Mr. Amick's job. They were reaching lost souls in India, proclaiming Jesus' name, without even the title of missionary. They were just normal people, filled with the Spirit, impacting lives. We were welcomed tonight to join Mr. Amick's bible study that began four weeks ago in their home for young Indian men around my age. (Keep in mind, if the doctor's visit the day before went as planned, we would have already been on a train meeting up with the rest of our team).
The Bible study theme was on discipleship, how to take up our cross daily, spend time in the word, fellowship with one another, and to bring the "church" wherever we go, not just in a building. We shared many stories, many miraculous acts of the Holy Spirit, & various interpretations of what fellowship meant to us individually. It was so cool to see how fellowship was just as important in Indian Christianity, just as in African or even American Christianity. Christ reigned in that room, his presence was felt among all of us.
DOMINO 6: As the Bible study was coming to an end, I received a note from one of my best friends back home, Kristin Pope, telling me of an amazing story of an Indian man who had been living behind her. He had since returned to India recently, but not before sharing this story:
"I found out that he was in the diamond business in New York & got robbed at gun point! He then moved behind us & was robbed again in his house at gun point. With the gun at his head, he asked if the Robber knew Jesus. He talked to the guy & the robber became a Christian! If that's not proof of the power of just saying God's name, than I don't know what is! It reminds me of Jesus hanging on the cross & Him telling the thief next to him that He would see him in Heaven. I know that you would find encouragement in that & I hope your trip is as fruitful and encouraging as it can be!
DOMINO 7: Well Kristin, it was extremely encouraging because I shared this with everyone that night! Hehe =) Seeing their faces light up, and witness to power of the timing of the Lord was amazing. How perfect was that timing!! Haha. I could've received that not even a couple minutes later, and those men would've never heard that. It actually summed up the entire sermon/bible study in all. We read the verse in Matthew 16:24-25, "Then jesus told His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lost it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
As I was reading the note Kristin sent me, I was reminded that I should walk as though I have a gun to my head, with a boldness, and a lack of fear because I know my fate. I should live life already dead, for I have died to myself, given up everything of me for Christ. That man sure did. He had nothing left to share with that man other than the name of Jesus. How powerful is that name! Blessed be His name!!
So as you can see, through 7 amazing domino affects, we are now sitting in the middle of Hyderabad, seperated from our team, but still able to shine the Lord's light. We weren't there for the perks, the hospitality, the good food, the internet, etc. NO. We were there to sit in on that Bible study, to be rejuvenated, to rest in His presence, to proclaim the power of His name, to plant even more seeds in the hearts of these young men that surrounded us, to be poured into spiritually from the Amick's experiences from the Holy Spirit here in India, & to understand the Lord's timing is in every minute detail of our lives.
Notice the details! He is there. Every last step you take is leading to something else, some other bigger plan God has for your life. Life is not about you. It's about dying to yourself, becoming born again through Christ, or as it says in Romans 6:4, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Walk in that newness, that boldness as His son or daughter. You are His. You were made in love. You are love. Become it! =)
