The general problem with asking the Lord to find favor on you and allow you to suffer for His Name is that the Lord hears our prayers. I think that sometimes He hears our small words (that we sometimes don’t know the full effect of what we pray) and grins because He knows that we have no idea what we are asking for. So after praying that the Lord would teach me and train me through suffering: enters Today. It would have been a lovely day if I hadn’t started it off by oversleeping (ear plugs to drown out the rooster sounds from outside also drown out your alarm). After rushing out the door, I hustled down the street to grab a jeepney when it starts raining. I didn’t have an umbrella or coat. So I just chuckle to myself and wonder what else I might encounter today (still trying to keep a smile). I caught my ride up the hill to school and arrived just in time to witness a double rainbow. How thankful I am for the little reminders of God’s precious promises to us. I went along with my day and after arriving to HS Science I was informed that I was late: the schedule changed for Spiritual Enrichment week. So for my first day of teaching solo I was late. I swallowed my pride and tried to teach without melting down right there in the class. After I left the class, I prayed “Lord, thank you for the reminder that I am not in control: now can you please let me finish MY day.” I think the Lord just grinned knowing how incapable I was to actually run my own day. A couple hours later I am on my way to my next class I teach solo and one of my students stops me in the hall and says, “Where were you today? You missed class.” I question her and figure out that the schedule was all changed again and I had actually completely missed my class. Seriously? After school , I had to go to the immigration office to extend my visa. When we arrived I realized I didn’t have enough cash. So I ran across the street to the bank, slipping on my way down the hill. I return to the desk and get my receipt realizing they charged me almost double the actual cost. We left the office and I thought to myself, really could this day be any worse? At that moment, the Lord whispered to me, “I am in control.” I quickly ran through my entire day, realizing that while I had tried to keep a smile on the outside, on the inside I was a mess.
I learned a few critical lessons today, as a child of God and as a missionary: 1) Things don’t always go as planned: and that’s OK! In life and on the mission field, the idea is to do God’s perfect work; but there is one problem: we are trying to do it with imperfect people. Nothing is going to be smooth, but that does not mean the Lord isn’t in control or involved. 2) I have no idea what suffering for Christ looks like or the trust in God it requires. I asked to suffer for the Lord, and yet I could barely make it not even 24 hours without wanting to crawl back in bed. The Lord reminded me today that suffering for Him is not about me, it’s about His glory; Completely for His Glory. 3) God is in control. As a daughter of the King, I do not have to be in charge or responsible for making my day work out perfectly. Praise the Lord. No matter what I think is falling apart or not going as planned: God is still on His throne. I am so thankful that I am not in charge, but that I have an intimacy with the One who is.
I want to leave you with this one thing. Don’t ever forget that God is in control and that He totally and completely cares about the details of your life. He really cares. He is bigger than any problem. He is understanding and compassionate. Rest in that truth, friends. Be encouraged.
-Mads
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