Waiting Patiently and Actively

Yesterday I had a sweet full circle moment. A fellow missionary and I have been working at a local church plant to help them start their children’s ministry, this month we started weekly trainings for the children’s ministry team. Last night was the first actual teaching.

I realized as I taught, then sat and observed, that this is what the Lord called me to do 6 years ago this month. I’ve known since I was 16 that I would spend time in Africa doing missions, the Lord has confirmed this over and over again. What I didn’t know is how or where. During my second trip to Kenya, I spent some time with a pastor friend, I asked if he had a children’s ministry at his church. He said he did not. I wasn’t too familiar with the culture, so I asked why, was it because he didn’t see the importance, didn’t have the workers, or something else? He said they just didn’t know how to teach children. I thought, wow! I can help with that. That sparked something in my heart. On the trip back home and after arriving back in the states, I asked the Lord, “okay! When do we go back to Africa?!” He said, wait. That dreaded word… He told me that what I was doing right now (children’s pastoring and working as a nurse) He wanted to use in my future in missions. He told me to prepare the team that I have now and that He wanted me to work on training and leading my local church to teach children.

This was a significant change, I did NOT want to work with adults … because … ew, adults… lol I love kids and would rather work with them! But my amazing district children’s director made a comment once at a children’s camp that changed my thoughts on this, she said, “If I can impact you, the teachers and leaders, and you can impact and teach your large group of kids, how many more children are being impacted?” So, I waited. I started training up my team in my church and working to “duplicate myself” or “work myself out of a job”. For 6 years I did this. Eventually, I was mostly overseeing, I had team that were previously students of mine, and when the time came for me to step out of this and into full time missions, I was able to hand over the ministry without difficulty because it was prepared.

This is a lot of back story and a lot of preparation for my point today, but I want to set the scene and show that there was a lot of work going on 6 years ago. When I was working full time in a doctor’s office, missions felt so far away. I felt like it would never happen, I couldn’t see it, couldn’t imagine it, and couldn’t fathom how this would come about. Today, saying “6 years ago” feels like such a small amount of time!

It makes me think of the many scriptures the Lord has given us to remind us to be patient, to trust in Him, and to let Him handle the things around us. He sees all of the things going on around us, our futures, and our pasts, He knows the plans and end goals. Imagine if we truly didn’t worry and didn’t fret about the future and truly just trusted Him.

What is it you’re praying or waiting for? Is it a future spouse, a child, a ministry change, direction on the next step, or discernment within your current season? We don’t have to see 6, 3, 1 years down the road, we can’t, but He does. All we have to do right now is be faithful to Him. What did He call you to do last? What was the last thing He said to do? Do it and do it faithfully.

I’m going to list some scriptures below. I suggest you take some time today and read them, pray and ask the Lord to remind you of what He has called you to do here. Ask Him to help you wait patiently and actively. Within my waiting season for missions, I never stopped working in the last thing He said to do. In my current waiting season, or in yours, what has He asked us to do? Will we be diligent to continue working or will we worry and get stuck in the “what ifs”?

Matthew 6:25-34
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 12:14-34
Colossians 3:23-25
Hebrews 10:32-39
Psalm 27
Psalm 28
Hebrews 11:8-10
1 Peter 5:6