Flexibility.
It was a word the Lord put on my heart a few months before we left for India.
I thought I understood it, and I figured it wouldn’t be easy.
But little did I know how hard it would really be…
It was our third day working in the villages.
The first two days had been incredible!
We had seen crowds of 150+ and had shared the gospel with
approximately 400 people in just two short days.
We had been to two different villages and the people had been very open,
wanting to hear more about Jesus.
It was a word the Lord put on my heart a few months before we left for India.
I thought I understood it, and I figured it wouldn’t be easy.
But little did I know how hard it would really be…
It was our third day working in the villages.
The first two days had been incredible!
We had seen crowds of 150+ and had shared the gospel with
approximately 400 people in just two short days.
We had been to two different villages and the people had been very open,
wanting to hear more about Jesus.
 |
| {sharing the Gospel with 150+ people in front of the Hindu temple in the middle of the village} |
 |
| {sharing health education at the first village we visited} |
This trip was a church-planting mission, and that was our goal.
Go to unreached villages that didn’t currently have a church,
find “persons of peace” who were either believers or seekers and
start a sat-sang (or small group) in their home.
The local pastors that we were working with would then
follow up with those small groups after we left,
with the hope that they would become house churches
in the future.
This was our mission.
Our goal.
This is what we had been training and preparing for months to do.
And we were excited and ready to DO IT!!
And I might just add that I am a goal person.
I like checklists.
I like a clear plan of action.
Show me the vision...and I am ready to make it happen!
So after two days of fruitful ministry in two different
unreached villages, we were feeling good.
We were on track.
We had identified “persons of peace” in each village.
Now it was time to go back and gather a group in those homes.
Meet with them and show them how to have their own sat-sang (or truth fellowship).
We had several tools available and we were excited to share
these tools with the people.
Things were going according to plan.
And we were excited about what God was doing!
And then it all came to a screeching halt.
It was the morning of our third day and as we rode in the taxi to the local pastor’s house,
We were on track.
We had identified “persons of peace” in each village.
Now it was time to go back and gather a group in those homes.
Meet with them and show them how to have their own sat-sang (or truth fellowship).
We had several tools available and we were excited to share
these tools with the people.
Things were going according to plan.
And we were excited about what God was doing!
And then it all came to a screeching halt.
It was the morning of our third day and as we rode in the taxi to the local pastor’s house,
we had time to talk with our translators and make a plan of action for the day.
Chris and I had talked the night before, and we were really excited about some
of the connections that had been made the prior two days.
We were ready to do some follow up work!
We only had a total of four days of ministry in the villages,
so we were already half-way through and we were feeling the time crunch.
We felt like our last two days needed to be focused on the connections we had already made if we were going to leave behind small groups with a strong foundation.
As soon as we pulled up to the local pastors house, I immediately knew that something was different. The local pastor was standing out at the street ready to greet us, but he had two men
We were ready to do some follow up work!
We only had a total of four days of ministry in the villages,
so we were already half-way through and we were feeling the time crunch.
We felt like our last two days needed to be focused on the connections we had already made if we were going to leave behind small groups with a strong foundation.
As soon as we pulled up to the local pastors house, I immediately knew that something was different. The local pastor was standing out at the street ready to greet us, but he had two men
with him that we had never seen before.
A lot of talking took place between them and our translators and next thing we knew,
A lot of talking took place between them and our translators and next thing we knew,
these two men jumped in our taxi and we took off.
At this point, I could feel the panic setting in.
At this point, I could feel the panic setting in.
I had no idea who these men were...but I had a pretty good idea
that we weren’t heading where we had planned! And I would be lying
if I said I was ok with it. Because I wasn’t!
There was a battle raging inside me. I could feel the anxiety and frustration setting in as I saw our well-intentioned plans going out the window, and I realized we had lost control of the situation. Even as I type this, I realize how selfish it sounds. This trip wasn't about me and my "plans". And I knew that! Yet, my focus on the goal had taken my eyes off God and where He was leading that morning. His heart for the people of India was SO MUCH bigger than any plans we could put together. As I was processing everything and still trying to figure out a way to get us "back on track", Chris gently squeezed my hand and encouraged me to take a deep breath...and after some resistance, I finally let go. Chris reminded me that God had a bigger plan and we had to trust, and of course I then remembered that word. Flexibility. It sounds good and spiritual...until you suddenly have to let go of something that feels so right. A plan that you have worked on, and prayed about, and invested your time and energy into. It becomes part of your identity. This is when the real test comes. If God asks us to let go and move a different direction, can we do it? Will we fight and scream and kick our feet? Or will we recognize that His plan is ultimately the best? Even if we don’t understand it at the time, following Him will ALWAYS bring a much better result
than anything we could ever plan or put together on our own.
So after some internal kicking and screaming, I finally let go and trusted that God was in control and knew what needed to happen. {And I might add that my internal turmoil probably would have been a lot more vocal if I didn't have a language barrier to deal with...looking back I am sure that was part of God's plan!!} As we spoke to the new men, we found out they were part of a group of four pastors that were currently working to reach 32 different villages. They had arranged for us to visit three of the villages, and really needed some encouragement in the work they were doing.
And what a delightful day it turned out to be!
The very first village that we visited was a remote, farming community. The pastors informed us that a group was expecting us and had been waiting for two hours. As we showed up at the house, we saw about 30-40 women gathered in a courtyard.
So after some internal kicking and screaming, I finally let go and trusted that God was in control and knew what needed to happen. {And I might add that my internal turmoil probably would have been a lot more vocal if I didn't have a language barrier to deal with...looking back I am sure that was part of God's plan!!} As we spoke to the new men, we found out they were part of a group of four pastors that were currently working to reach 32 different villages. They had arranged for us to visit three of the villages, and really needed some encouragement in the work they were doing.
And what a delightful day it turned out to be!
The very first village that we visited was a remote, farming community. The pastors informed us that a group was expecting us and had been waiting for two hours. As we showed up at the house, we saw about 30-40 women gathered in a courtyard.
Once Chris saw the group, he handed it over to me and I had one of the most special times of the whole trip. I shared the story of the woman at the well {John 4} and the women were captivated. They hung on every word and later told me they had never heard the story before.
At the end of the story, when I asked if any of them would like to have this living water...all of them raised their hands, with most of them raising both arms in the air. It was an incredible sight! I then went through the Gospel story to make sure they understood what I was asking and when I asked who wanted to ask Jesus into their lives...again every woman raised her hand, with many raising both arms straight up. I can’t even begin to express the special connection I had with that group of women. The Holy Spirit was so tangible, and I was overcome with that feeling of being exactly where God wanted me at that very moment, sharing exactly what He had for those women.
And it makes me shudder to think that I could have missed that moment if I had held on to my “plans” and resisted the direction that God had for us.
Flexibility.
That word came to life for me that day.
I saw what God can do when we serve Him with open hands and a willingness to go
And it makes me shudder to think that I could have missed that moment if I had held on to my “plans” and resisted the direction that God had for us.
Flexibility.
That word came to life for me that day.
I saw what God can do when we serve Him with open hands and a willingness to go
WHEREVER and WHENEVER He leads.
Does this mean that we stop making plans?
No...at least that is not what I took away that day.
It wasn't my plans, but my tight grip on those plans that hindered God.
God gives us gifts and abilities, and I think we should use them to further His kingdom.
However, when God leads in a direction different than what we have planned and organized...will we resist or will we follow? Will we trust that He knows best even if we don't understand it?
I know that I will have a lot more opportunities to practice flexibility.
But I will always remember that beautiful day in a remote village of India.
When I saw God touch a group of women because I was willing to follow Him
Does this mean that we stop making plans?
No...at least that is not what I took away that day.
It wasn't my plans, but my tight grip on those plans that hindered God.
God gives us gifts and abilities, and I think we should use them to further His kingdom.
However, when God leads in a direction different than what we have planned and organized...will we resist or will we follow? Will we trust that He knows best even if we don't understand it?
I know that I will have a lot more opportunities to practice flexibility.
But I will always remember that beautiful day in a remote village of India.
When I saw God touch a group of women because I was willing to follow Him
in a different direction than I had planned.
He delighted me with a special experience that I will never forget!
He delighted me with a special experience that I will never forget!
