"God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;
He does great things beyond our understanding." ~ Job 37:5 ~
The other night, a couple of weeks ago, I was having trouble getting to sleep. My mind would not be stilled, and so I got up and began writing down my thoughts. This has been happening quite a bit lately, and I was beginning to wish that I could just go to bed and sleep like I used to.
I started praying too, because I needed to finish preparations for speaking at soccer camp on Aug 20 - 24, and I was struggling to put together one of the lessons I would be sharing. Well, that night I was able to complete the lesson - even though I didn't get to sleep until after 1 am - and I realized the following day that God had kept me awake so that in the quietness of the night, with no distractions, that I would be able to hear His voice and accomplish the work He wanted me to do. Now I could give Him thanks for the sleeplessness!!
"I will meditate on all Your works and consider all Your mighty deeds.
Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; You display Your power among the peoples." ~ Psalm 77:12-14 ~
My visa application was sent to the Consulate General of Ukraine in Toronto on July 23 and they received it 2 days later -- along with my passport -- and I made all the appropriate preparations, hoping that the visa and my passport would be returned to me in time for my travel at the end of August. I knew that it would take some time, so I was waiting and trusting, believing that if it was the right timing that God would make it possible.
Last week, only about 9 days from the time I was supposed to fly out of Canada, I still had not received the paperwork and the tracking number for the package was not yet registered in the postal system. Every time I was tempted to worry, I prayed and surrendered my concern to the Lord, affirming again that I knew I could trust Him to work it out for my good and His purposes. I sent out an email to all my contacts, requesting them to pray for the situation, knowing that I needed to have the passport in my hands by Friday, August 24th.
Well, on Monday after soccer camp, I checked online with the tracking number, and the package had been DELIVERED to Ashcroft, affirming that God was opening the way for me to go! It was a miracle -- because usually it takes a long time for visas to be approved -- and we all rejoiced because we had been trusting God and He proved His faithfulness once again!!
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." ~ Isaiah 55:8-9 ~
These are just a couple of current experiences in which my faith has been tested, and it is a privilege to know that not only has my faith and relationship with the Lord been strengthened, but others have been encouraged through this as well! Indeed, our God is a mighty and awesome God!!