And the Journey goes on….

Here we are back in Portland, Oregon, trying to sell our house, property and business. We are tempted beyond reason to be frustrated at the slow nature of all of this, but then we remember that this has to be a critical component of our journey. We had hoped to be living in Uganda, taking care of those beautiful children by now. But we know that none of our circumstances escape God’s watchful eye. If it was in His timing for us to be back there it would be so. Yet here we are waiting on the Lord…

The words song I learned when I first believed in Jesus keeps coming to mind:

I will wait, wait, wait upon Lord.

I will wait, wait, wait upon the Lord.

I’ll learn my lessons well,

In His timing He will tell me what to do, where to go, what to say.

Up until now we have been very busy. After living in our home for 19 years there was so much to sort through, give away, sell, clean, and fix up. But since our house went on the market we find ourselves having a hard time getting back to normal life, whatever that is. I had great dreams that the house would have three offers on it the moment it went on the market. “God can do anything”, I reasoned. While I still believe whole heartedly that He is powerful and powerfully shows up in the lives of every day people, all the time, I have recognized that for today He thinks it is best that I wait.

How much of this lesson will we need when we finally pack up our belongings and go to this new land He has called us to? Waiting… Waiting… If He is to be in control we must be willing to hold still. He says in His Word, “Be still and know that I am God.” We American Christians think we have so many solutions to the problems of the poor in third world countries…but do we really?

I know of some very precious missionaries who when called into service in a far away land, spent the first year of life there just adapting to the ways of the people, learning from them, living like them and with them, forming relationships and being a godly example in their own family. It was only after that year when the people accepted and embraced them as family that they began very slowly to encourage their friends to step out in ministry. They humbly know they don’t have all the answers and are learning from these people every day. But most of all they are completely dependent upon God to show up for all of them every day. That is the way it must be for God’s children who want His very best in their lives and the lives of those they are called to love.

So here we sit in Portland, Oregon, waiting, for the God of the Universe to open a window for us to walk through at a moments notice.