I passed through Atlanta airport last weekend en route to Rome...............uh, Rome, Georgia:) Anyway, I wasn't sure why I was going to this particular place, but I knew I was following God's plan for me. Living truly becomes very adventurous when you try to be open to His leading! So....I arrived in ATL with two hours to spare waiting for 3 gals from California who would be arriving at 1:20. Didn't know these girls, they were heading to the same retreat as me, so we were sharing a rental car. Anyway, I find out which gate they would be arriving at and begin looking for a comfortable place to perch myself near there, until they arrive. The airport was busy. My bag was heavy. The regular seats I saw just didn't look inviting. And then...........there it was................the SPA! Seriously, I glanced over, and spotted the spa with lots of soft, reclining chairs. Thank you, God, I thought. This is where I should sit until they arrive.........anyway, my toes were overdue for some care........a sweet gal greeted me at the entrance, immediately ushering me back to one of the soft recliners. I dropped my heavy bag, set my book on the side table and sat. Perfect. I will sit here in comfort for an hour, quietly reading my book. BUT GOD...........told me to talk to this gal. I did, but she spoke little English and didn't seem interested in chatting anyway.......neither did I........so, I figured I was now free to read my book in peace. God, again prompted me to draw her out. Really, God? I thought. I didn't feel like it and she couldn't understand alot and I couldn't understand her. Just leave her alone, to quietly do her job is what I thought. ........"draw her out" I kept hearing........so, I learned she has been here for 8 years having grown up in Vietnam. We talked the whole time! Such a nice girl. She thinks she's "stupid" because she can't read and doesn't speak English as well as others who have been here less time. Our time was almost up, so I asked her if she knew Jesus. She looked at me like she didn't understand. I repeated, "Jesus...do you go to church?" Oh..... now she got where I was going....."no, Buddha", she said. I nodded that I understood. She left to get my bill. When she returned I said, "I know in Vietnam most people are Buddhist. But, just because you are from there doesn't mean you're Buddhist." She looked at me as if to say...really?
Our time was up and it was time for her to move on to another client. I sat there wondering what God wanted me to do in this situation. Was I done? I wanted to give her a bible.........but she couldn't read....how else could I reach her. I searched the airport bookstores for audio bibles but to no avail. The time came for me to find my California car partners at their gate so I thought that must be it. It crossed my mind that maybe I could find a Christian bookstore enroute back from the retreat.. ...... Nope. I let it go.
BUT, God already had it completely orchestrated! I returned home and got back to my routine. Wednesday morning, I got an email from a pastor friend who I am going to Guatemala with tomorrow for a week. It just said that he was in Atlanta airport waiting for his flight(and something else but I don't remember). Instantly, God got my mind back on Tam at the airport spa. I quickly went to amazon and found a bible in vietnamese and an audio in English.
Thursday morning I am at the pregnancy center.........we always start out the day with prayer together and Carolyn reads scripture. Prayer requests? There were a couple.........I thought of Tam.......last minute, I shared a bit of my experience with her at the airport.......Carolyn just 'happened' to have one copy of a vietnamese bible there at the center.......AND......she was leaving the next day for Aruba.............yup.........through Atlanta! Are you kidding me God?? Amazing! Then.......... as I sat with my first client watching a video.........I noticed a DVD sitting amongst a few others...... Do you know God personally? was the title! I picked it up, walked into Carolyn's office and asked her if we had more. Sure enough, one brand new copy, donated for us to use for outreach.
So, Carolyn is now in Aruba, having first stopped at the spa in the airport to deliver Tam's gift(no doubt, from God!). I'll be replacing the vietnamese bible at the center when my amazon shipment arrives! Our God is so BIG!
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