Clarity
Throughout the our first year in the Muslim nation my husband and I were fervently praying that God would send a team of missionaries to us from Southeast Asia to help plant a church while my husband was observing and learning the culture. It was during this time when my husband invited a young man and his wife, to apply for a job where he was working. He submitted the young man’s resume to the company and he was hired. Finally, God answered our prayer because the man and his wife were officially sent to us as a missionary team together with another single man who also applied for a job in a close area with a different company. My husband and I were so glad for the answered prayer. We were excited and decided to fully support the team sent to us in any way and the best way we could. The team started out with a weekly prayer meeting as soon as they arrived to the Middle East.
The following year I considered applying for a job in Australia to pursue a teaching career and migrate there as a family because a friend of mine in Australia was convincing me. I admit that somehow a selfish ambition in me wanted to leave the Middle East. So I took the online assessment test for the teaching opportunity and I passed. I was excited to get ready for the next step of my application. In my mind we could still honor God and make disciples in Australia even if we left the Middle East. We could still serve as volunteers in Australia as we used to in Southeast Asia. But God interrupted my personal plans on June 22. He had another plan different than what I wanted. On that day, during my personal quiet time with God, He spoke to me personally. He gave me the verse of Isaiah 6:8, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, Here am I. Send me.” I read the verse several times. I was stuck with it. It struck me hard. I asked, “What do you mean, Lord?” I didn’t really fully understand why God gave me that Word at that very moment. Of all the verses in the Bible I was struck with that one. There was something within me that I couldn’t explain by mere words. So, in my heart I just said, “YES, LORD. My life is fully committed and totally devoted to You. You are my GOD and I am Yours forever. My family and I are willing to go wherever You want us to go and do whatever You want us to do. You are our BIG BOSS. We are humbled to be used by You.” Then, I was reminded that this was the same verse I received in 2 years earlier when we decided to move to the Middle East. I didn’t know God was preparing my heart that particular morning for what would happen later on.
On that day on June 22, after I received a Word (Isaiah 6:8) during my morning devotion with God, I asked the Lord to give us a clear directive. My question was, “Does He want us to stay in the Middle East or will I pursue my Australian teaching career plan?” Indeed, God’s ultimate plan prevailed even though I was sidetracked for a little while by my Australian teaching career dream. I settled and yielded my heart to the Lord. I waited upon the Lord for His clear directive for us as a family. True enough, God answered me that night when my husband brought home news from a meeting with a Pastor that was visiting. He informed me that the Pastor appointed him to lead the church planting team where we were in the Middle East. He humbly accepted the charge given to him. For me, that news served as a confirmation of God’s answer to my earlier question to Him. God answered my specific question and He made His directive even clearer before that day had ended. I totally dropped my Australian teaching career plan and embraced God’s clear direction and His call for us as a family in the Middle East.
Photograph by Madhu Shesharam @madhu_shesharam via Unsplash