Yeah, this is kinda a strange story...
I promised God that I would trust Him should He want me to go. That of course doesn't give us license to go do stupid things. (I'm not gonna put my hand in a fire just because I trust God that I won't get burned. That's not faith.)
That being said, I called the US embassy in Myanmar and couldn't get a proper response, so I called the CDC and Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic and talked to the secretary (the doctor would call me back) she said that I needed to get Yellow Fever and polio and Hepatitis A and B, rabies and a few others, and that they take about 4 weeks to be any good after the shot, and that Yellow Fever was necessary to get back into the States from a 3rd World Asian country.
I called the mission team leader. She said that she had been praying for this and feels that I (and perhaps all the Americans) should not go this time. Perhaps not since I don't have my shots yet but I really wanted to trust God - besides I hadn't gotten my visa yet either. Before, I had prayed that if I got my visa I thought that was a good clue that God wanted me to go.... So the team leader and I decided that I would try to go next time 'round.
I called my wife and told her it looks like I am not going. (She was VERY relieved) and then I called my clients and told them as well.
Not 1 minute after I hung up the phone rang from the embassy and they said my visa was ready.
humph.
So it turns out I am not going this time, but I have this nagging feeling that if I had just had stronger faith and waited for the embassy to call...
God apparently doesn't want me to go - at least without better security and a shot for Yellow Fever (there are plenty of ways we can serve) - but He does want us to at least wait on Him. I feel like I jumped the gun this time a bit.
Undoubtedly, some prayers are answered - my wife's and mother's if no one else's... but prayers are always answered anyway.
There it is then, the team is going sans Americans and they will still need our prayers and supplies. We must pray continually for them and the victims (all over the world).
1 comment:
When we ask God to open or close a door as He sees fit, we have to leave things in His hands. Many times in the past I have asked this of God and found myself doing stupid things that meant the door remained closed. When I look back I think "Why on earth did I do that that!?!" But as time carries me away from those event I can see that if I hadn't done those things my life would have been completely different to what it is now. One such time, had the door been opened, would have stopped me from meeting my wife! I believe that we do our part, and as we allow God to direct our actions He does His part. Sometimes we look back and think "That was a stupid thing to do" but, with time, I believe you will realise that God's hand was at work. If He wanted you to go, He would have organised it. Its not a matter of not having had enough faith, that comes now. Now you have to realise that God was directing your actions and believe that He rigged events to make sure you are where you should be. Trust God - let go of your conscious self (thanks Obi-Wan!).
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