Encouragement from Quarantine
SOCIAL DISTANCING! Two words that are easy to hate, especially on this road towards the mission field! You know, at times like these, it is easy to be discouraged, BUT GOD has a plan in all of this for you and me, and I hope you see him at work in all of this mess. He has been so good to show himself to our family even in the midst of this trial.
Since the last update I sent., We were able to share our ministry with a bunch of individuals and three churches. God was really gracious to allow us to connect with so many in the past month. We were finally going to get back to our home church when the world went mobile and into quarantine all around us. Admittedly, we were caught off guard, as we were short food in the fridge, almost out of toilet paper, wipes, and diapers. Being a realtor is certainly a challenge as holding open houses seems to be a thing of the past, and meetings are more difficult to have. Home walk-throughs have gone down substantially already. Debbie’s Air BNB has completely dried up with bookings so our income stream is already being hit. We were finally ready to reconnect with our church family and worship. And, well, covid happened…. Bummer! BUT GOD, supplied what we needed for food. Some of our meal planning has changed but we certainly are not starving! We were finally able to get some tp, not the softest of kinds, but hey it is effectively doing the job! We were able to get diapers and wipes so no hosing the kids off outside. Three of my real estate deals tanked recently, which would have been enough to sustain us for the next few months. BUT GOD, will supply all of our needs. And Debbie and I get, what may be a once in a lifetime opportunity, to slow down, and let God be God. To see Him do what we cannot. To see Him chip away at our pride, insecurities, and in faith, see him provide. To trust fully in His timing, knowing that He has called us to be missionaries and to be out seeking ministry partners during the most unsettling and unknown financial crisis of our generation. In this time, we desire to be generous towards those around us with what we do have. To trust God’s provision as we use what we have for His glory. We own nothing. We control nothing. And we, as Bible believing Christ followers know this. We finally get to live it. Debbie and I are excited to see God’s hand in this generation. Are you?
A scripture that I run to in times of uncertainty, fear, and worry is:
Matthew 6:25-34: (Jesus Said) “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. ARE YOU NOT WORTH MUCH MORE THAN THEY? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little Faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘ What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I’ll close with this: God is in control. He has always been in control. He will always be in control. Oh, we of little faith! May we get a clear picture of who God is and BELIEVE in Him!