Recently as I was overseas in Vanuatu, I attended a wonderful church in Port Vila the International Christian church. https://iccvanuatu.com/ A dynamic couple were the helm, Sam and Lisa Paris. I had the privilege of hearing some of their miraculous stories as they became full-time missionaries and some of the adventures they had.
As I prepared for my short trip of two weeks, I was struck by the amount of preparation involved. As I wanted a chance to use my dentistry skills, as well as tickets, passport, insurance, and accommodation, I had to put in evidence of my degree, practicing certificate, a letter of recommendation, and a police check. It took time for this to come through and the people at the marine reach base had to repeatedly ask at the relevant office if my Visa was ready. And that was just for two weeks.
Sometimes preparation to get where we want to in life takes much longer. Sam Paris shared that he got the call to be a full-time missionary after fully surrendering to God in 2009, and his wife Lisa had heard much earlier. Then their preparation began, and they went back to bible college to develop the necessary skills. Six years later, they arrived in Vanuatu to learn the language, and after six months more, they moved to Tanna, where they ministered God’s love and also gained another daughter to their family. You can see more of their adventures on YouTube
Other people in the bible had years of preparation for their destiny. Moses knew he was called to help the Israeli people, his people. But after killing an Egyptian he had to flee and spend forty years in the desert before he had the encounter with God at the burning bush.
Abraham in his journey had to travel many miles to reach the promised land of Canaan. His father Terah settled in Haran and we never hear of him again, whereas Abraham persevered and became the father of the Jewish faith.
Often in our Western culture, we want things instantly. It is so easy to get what we want, fast food, and online shopping for example. But in my experience things in life that are worthwhile take time. In my life, it has been studying to be a dentist, hours of dental practice, and ongoing study each year. Practicing a musical instrument which can take many hours to get great, as well as dancing and writing, studying and practicing. Anything that is worthwhile takes time and I’ve liked this recent reminder right now in my life.
Where is God leading you right now, what areas in your life is he wanting for you to develop? I encourage you to spend the time to seek God in the still moments and ask him to lead you and prepare your heart for the next steps in your life.
A scripture I have been meditating on recently is great for all of life. Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. I love that the Hebrew word for shepherd is taken from the root word ra’ah, which is also the Hebrew word for best friend. The unique term for shepherd is lover of the flock, ro’eh tzon. We can trust Him to lead us on our journey.
And for more romantic adventures in Vanuatu Click here
Comments