Sometimes life is about perspective and I must confess that I am an optimist. There are few situations that come my way that I cannot see the silver lining, sometimes even a greater purpose. So I guess you would call me a "glass is half full" person.
On the first day of my last trip to Haiti, God gave me one of those WOW Moments. It was a time of perspective. Our team had been coordinating for months and had everything planned out just the way we wanted it. The operative word there is "we." WE had scheduled to do a VBS. WE had chosen where we were going to go. WE had all of our activities planned. And just before we could load up on the buses to go, a bus showed up full of children. While the lady who had brought them met with the staff, we realized how awesome God is. We didn't have to go out looking for children to minister to, God brought them right up to the gate.
Now, my perspective was this, they're here, we're here, so let's do VBS! God had a plan and in spite of everything that we had put our minds to He knew exactly the children that needed to be ministered to that day. And I considered those children extra special because God brought them to the gate.
A Scripture I love is Luke 5:5. After the disciples had been fishing all night and caught absolutely nothing, their plan was to go back to shore. But then they encountered Jesus, and they came up against the plan of God. Jesus said, "No, go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish." It takes faith to obey Jesus when He tells you to go out a little deeper. Sometimes a little deeper can be unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and sometimes downright scary. I love Peter's response, "Master, we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But because You say so, I will let down the nets for a catch." Peter demonstrated faith and trust in the Master.
I wonder if God is giving us another WOW Moment. How many years have churches prayed to reach Muslim countries, especially those closed to the Gospel? How many years have we asked God to open a door? How much money have we raised to send translators and missionaries? Then, much like how God showed up in Haiti that day, what if He just swept away all of our plans, and said trust Me, I'll bring them to the gate. You don't even have to go searching, I will bring My lost ones to you, all you have to do is share the Gospel.
Will we respond like Peter, "Master, because you say so. . ." and see the bountiful blessings God has in store? Later in Luke 5 Jesus makes plain the spiritual application of His object lesson. Do you know what Jesus said to Peter? "DON'T BE AFRAID. From now on you will be fishing for people."
Who is God sending to the gate? What will be our response?
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