Giving God Control

Church was very good today, many moving testimonies and many great stories of how God is at work in our church and the lives of those affected through our church. One story shared was of a young couples plans for the past 7 years to adopt. They had been preparing and saving for this day for 7 years and the day finally came for them to meet with the agency to find out what their options were. When asked how much money they were able to put into the adoption they repeated the amount that they had promised a year previous. They were then told that this was no longer a good amount of money and they would have to be able to come up with at least another $5000.00 but more like $10,000.00. Already stretched to their limit they were devastated. They had poured themselves into this for the past 7 years and now it seemed that God was closing the door. They began to question if God had wanted this at all or if it was just what they wanted. Finally they told God that they were o.k. with whatever He decided and that if He wanted them to wait they would wait but if it was to happen now, God would have to prove Himself sufficient and make something big happen. Needless to say God proved himself BIG within a few hours after this prayer they were connected with a family who was looking for someone to adopt their daughters baby privately. God had this planned for them even though they were not able to see it. Their human plans led them to an adoption agency just to be let down, so that God could show Himself mighty and able at the last minute.

This story resonates with me as I try and determine what it is that God wants for me and my family as far as missions go. I have never tried to adopt so I have never had this exact experience but being called to full time missions work and waiting on God to show me when and where has been a challenge. I have tried to make decisions and take steps that will keep me headed in this direction, most of the time the doors are closed at some point. It is when I finally give up and say o.k. God I am at a lose here what is it You want me to do or where do you want me to go. Sometimes like the couple who was trying to adopt I even get to the point where I think that maybe this is not what God wants but just what I want. I know how they were feeling but God has proven Himself to me over and over and every time I doubt, He comes through and shows me that He still has plans for me. I am not sure exactly what, when or where or if He will ever have me in full time missions work but I do know and believe with all my heart that He wants my family and I to go to Africa. The only thing that I am not sure about at this time is the timing of the trip. We are praying for Jan 29th to depart for Africa as this is when the missionaries in Ghana would like for us to come. The finances however have not been arriving like we had hoped they would (at least not yet) and so I am beginning to wonder if we will get to go when we are planning. I am at the point in this process that I have turned it over to God and said "O.K. God whenever you want us to go we will go, You know about the timing of this trip even though I do not and I am trusting You to work it out." Now the hard part for me is to do just what I have said and wait and trust God to prove Himself, if He wants us to go Jan 29th then He will have to move mightily to bring the funds in. It will be an interesting 10 weeks if He does.

Gary Phillips