Packing the night before, I literally kept expecting the call that the trip was cancelled. We were on the phone with each other and everyone we knew who could offer sound advice.
How do you make a decision in the chaos? We had never experienced the world ending like this.
People had donated dollars for our trip. We had new friends in Zambia preparing for us to come and teach them to go deeper in their faith. What would it reveal about ours if we were dissuaded by some little rumors about a sickness across the world? But we all had kids (and even grandkids) that depended on us when things were normal. What kind of crappy parent and spouse leaves with so many unknowns looming? The tension between the the right things was enough to break you.
It was one of the weirdest nights of my life—or so I thought. Sometimes God goes silent at the point when it’s time to step out in faith.
There was a lot of noise. A lot of opinions. A lot of news and a lot of predictions. For The Big 5...it was time to be still and pray. Search our hearts and our memories. Did God call us to go to Zambia? Yes. Each of us could think back and confirm He did. Did this virus, oddly named after a beer, catch Him off guard? Resounding “No”. If our flights were not canceled, we all decided to be on them. We would step out in faith. Our spouses supported us and agreed. We were surrendered to Jesus over any fear or human logic.
We saw God move on that trip. We experienced the favor, protection and closeness of the Way Maker. We had the adventures of a life time. I would have missed all of it if I had chosen to be practical or afraid. I would have been busy with the chaos that happened at home. I would have had a just fine life, but I would have missed out on things I didn’t even know to dream could be mine.
I think that’s why fear maintains its grip. If we live in it, we simply never know what we are missing.
I will never, ever regret the times when I am brave for Jesus. Because when I take a step in faith, the silence breaks and for me, in Zambia, His voice was like the sound of rushing waters Ezekiel described. I saw the hand of God and it was tender and powerful. He is faithful. Even when I don’t see it. Even when I don’t feel it. He never stops moving. Way maker. Miracle worker. Promise keeper. Light in the darkness. I testify. That is who You are.