When you have to go to your Facebook profile page to get the
address to your blog, it’s definitely time to update.
I can’t believe it’s been 20 months since God planted seeds
that would lead us to a place we would never have gone on our own – Williston,
North Dakota. In that time, I’ve learned
a lot about timing and vision. Our
pastor referred me to a book called “Visioneering” by Andy Stanley. It’s a good book, but there were some things
in it I didn’t really want to come to terms with. He wrote the following:
"A vision does not require immediate action. As God
is in the process of birthing a vision in a heart, we always want to start
NOW! Once we feel the idea is from God, we assume all systems are go, and
we need to quit our jobs, step out in faith, and begin. But the story of
Nehemiah, and other numerous biblical accounts illustrate that a clear vision
from God does not necessarily indicate a green light to begin. In fact,
some have started out too early, and the result was failure,
discouragement. A vision rarely requires immediate action. It
always requires patience."
That was really not what I wanted to hear, but
it’s so true. Have I mentioned that
patience is not one of my strong character traits? Looking back now, we can see
many reasons we could not have gone last summer, when we wanted to go. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Much has changed since this time last
year. My two oldest brothers were
diagnosed with cancer in July and November of 2012. One died in December, the other in January. Losing two brothers in five weeks was
difficult, and reminded me of how limited my time on this earth is, and how
urgent it is that I use my time serving God and sharing the gospel with those
who don’t know Him. I started this
journey asking God “why Williston, ND?”
But the real question is “why not Williston, ND?” My concerns about the sub-zero climate and
snow up to my ears don’t hold up in light of what Jesus did for me. My concerns are insignificant in comparison.
Many other things have changed as God has
continued to grow this vision in us. He
has provided us with a car without incurring any debt. We have the minimum amount of funds we
determined we would need to make a move and begin the process of getting
settled. A church planter has been
identified for the eventual church we will help plant. We do not have an RV or temporary housing as
we would have liked to, but we can rent one there. We will need to find jobs there, but that
should be the easy part. We have to
believe that the same God who planted this vision in us, who is with us here,
is already there, and will meet our needs.
We are back to the concept of gracious uncertainty, which I blogged
about last May. All that we have and are
is a result of God’s grace. As we
abandon our lives to follow Him, the only thing we can be certain of is
God. We live lives of expectant
uncertainty, knowing that God is absolutely faithful.
We plan to leave in early June. We appreciate your prayers.
