A Journey of LearningIn the past three years of my Christian walk, the Lord has taught me to trust in Him, and how to listen to and follow Him. Throughout this time I never stopped receiving lessons of faith from Him. I learned how, when there’s little reason to hope anymore, to hold on to steadfast hope. Perhaps sometime, somewhere along the way, I had asked “Why” but more often, I kept asking, “What should I do?” Until one day, it dawned on me that God has told me countless times the reason “why,” but I had missed it. He said…
“You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’” Isaiah 40:9, NIV |
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He said to proclaim “to the ends of the earth.”
So I said, “Abba, Father, wherever You send me, I’ll go.”
One day, my church pastor asked me, “Are you going to the Gateway camp this year? Do you want to go on short-term missions?” I knew my answer had to be “yes,” because I’d said to the Lord, “Wherever You send me, I’ll go.”Not long after, I received an email with a list of things I had to prepare for the trip. My heart sank a little when I found that not only had I to pray for provisions for my plane ticket and accommodation, but also for “a pair of sneakers, a windbreaker, etc.” I prayed, “Lord, if this is one leg in the journey You’ve prepared for my life, I ask that You prepare everything that I need!”
Things did not change up to twelve days before camp. My pastor told me to keep praying to see if the trip was really God’s call for me. So I prayed, “Lord, it’s up to You whether I go or not. If You want me to, I trust that You’ll provide.”Ten days before camp, a sister approached me. “Do you need shoes?” she asked. “I was cleaning out my closet and found that I have many pairs.”On the morning five days before camp, I received another pair of sneakers. The size fit perfectly. (I think even as God created the two of us, He already knew one day this sister would be giving me the gift of her shoes.) “Lord, so it’s Your will for me to go? If it is, please continue to provide what I need.” That afternoon, my pastor said to me, “The offering we’ve collected is enough to support the whole team, so all of you must be all set to go to Thailand?” I believed the Lord had prepared for me to be part of the trip, but I had another request: “Please pray for provision for my son’s retention fees at his school. It’s due the month we return from Thailand. I’ll trust in the Lord, for He’s told me before that nothing—no person, no circumstance—will cause my son to have to withdraw from his school.”
There was also one big question: “Would I be able to use the internet during the camp and trip? I might have to take care of things for work I was helping with. Bring a laptop? I don’t own one.” And still again, there were many other things I hadn’t yet taken care of, but—“Wherever You send me, I’ll go. If You want me to go, I trust that You’ll provide.” That night, another pastor gave me an iPad. Smiling, he told me, “Praise the Lord! Give all glory to Him.” At that moment, I remembered the Lord had said…
“…for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8, NIV
Four days before camp, the Lord gave me the courage I needed and moved me to call up the accounts department of my son’s school, to thank them for giving us a tuition deduction the previous school year (this is another story testifying to God’s love for us, which I hope to share with you all another time). When I had thanked them, a completely unexpected response came to my ears, “It won’t be necessary for you to pay the retention fees at the end of this month. We’ll be rebating the balance leftover from the tuition you paid last year before the deduction was applied. This should cover a few months’ tuition. We hope this will help you through this time, and that your son can continue as a student in our school.”
Have I exhausted God’s grace by now? He said…
“My grace is sufficient for you…” 2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV
Three days before camp, another sister in Christ said to me, “Earlier this evening, I packed some clothes which I want you to have. Can I bring them over?” As I got home and opened the bag, there before my eyes was a beautiful pink windbreaker. I seemed to hear His voice in my heart, “I prepare only the very best for those I love.” At that instant I felt so deeply loved—loved as I had never been before!
Before camp started…
Before camp started, I experienced step by step His provision for my trip. I came to know more than ever that He is Jehovah-Jireh, “The Lord will provide.” When He calls His people to do His work, He always provides.
Mother Teresa once said, “The Lord takes care of those who do what is right.”
As camp began, I knew in my heart that it would be another new learning experience.
So I said, “Abba, Father, wherever You send me, I’ll go.”
One day, my church pastor asked me, “Are you going to the Gateway camp this year? Do you want to go on short-term missions?” I knew my answer had to be “yes,” because I’d said to the Lord, “Wherever You send me, I’ll go.”Not long after, I received an email with a list of things I had to prepare for the trip. My heart sank a little when I found that not only had I to pray for provisions for my plane ticket and accommodation, but also for “a pair of sneakers, a windbreaker, etc.” I prayed, “Lord, if this is one leg in the journey You’ve prepared for my life, I ask that You prepare everything that I need!”
Things did not change up to twelve days before camp. My pastor told me to keep praying to see if the trip was really God’s call for me. So I prayed, “Lord, it’s up to You whether I go or not. If You want me to, I trust that You’ll provide.”Ten days before camp, a sister approached me. “Do you need shoes?” she asked. “I was cleaning out my closet and found that I have many pairs.”On the morning five days before camp, I received another pair of sneakers. The size fit perfectly. (I think even as God created the two of us, He already knew one day this sister would be giving me the gift of her shoes.) “Lord, so it’s Your will for me to go? If it is, please continue to provide what I need.” That afternoon, my pastor said to me, “The offering we’ve collected is enough to support the whole team, so all of you must be all set to go to Thailand?” I believed the Lord had prepared for me to be part of the trip, but I had another request: “Please pray for provision for my son’s retention fees at his school. It’s due the month we return from Thailand. I’ll trust in the Lord, for He’s told me before that nothing—no person, no circumstance—will cause my son to have to withdraw from his school.”
There was also one big question: “Would I be able to use the internet during the camp and trip? I might have to take care of things for work I was helping with. Bring a laptop? I don’t own one.” And still again, there were many other things I hadn’t yet taken care of, but—“Wherever You send me, I’ll go. If You want me to go, I trust that You’ll provide.” That night, another pastor gave me an iPad. Smiling, he told me, “Praise the Lord! Give all glory to Him.” At that moment, I remembered the Lord had said…
“…for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8, NIV
Four days before camp, the Lord gave me the courage I needed and moved me to call up the accounts department of my son’s school, to thank them for giving us a tuition deduction the previous school year (this is another story testifying to God’s love for us, which I hope to share with you all another time). When I had thanked them, a completely unexpected response came to my ears, “It won’t be necessary for you to pay the retention fees at the end of this month. We’ll be rebating the balance leftover from the tuition you paid last year before the deduction was applied. This should cover a few months’ tuition. We hope this will help you through this time, and that your son can continue as a student in our school.”
Have I exhausted God’s grace by now? He said…
“My grace is sufficient for you…” 2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV
Three days before camp, another sister in Christ said to me, “Earlier this evening, I packed some clothes which I want you to have. Can I bring them over?” As I got home and opened the bag, there before my eyes was a beautiful pink windbreaker. I seemed to hear His voice in my heart, “I prepare only the very best for those I love.” At that instant I felt so deeply loved—loved as I had never been before!
Before camp started…
- I needed a pair of sneakers—God saw to it that His daughter had two;
- I needed above all money for travel and accommodation—God supplied extra so I could buy other items that were needed for the trip;
- I needed a month’s retention fee—He provided a few months’ tuition exemption;
- I needed a windbreaker—He delivered it in my favorite color;
Before camp started, I experienced step by step His provision for my trip. I came to know more than ever that He is Jehovah-Jireh, “The Lord will provide.” When He calls His people to do His work, He always provides.
Mother Teresa once said, “The Lord takes care of those who do what is right.”
As camp began, I knew in my heart that it would be another new learning experience.