You lead me to where my trust is with out borders, literally God lead me for the past 42 days over 7 countries with hardly any money or contacts. God prepared the way so long ago and with an ear to hear His voice. We saw His plans come to life by steping in obedience. God was the plan and there was no plan B.
Graham Cooke says - there is absolutely no security in what God is doing... He does life different everyday, speaks in different ways and you can never put Him down to our comfortable 1, 2, 3 steps.
He says there is only security in who God is... He is unchangeable, He is Good beyond measure, adventurous, full of surprises, has quite a sense of humour if you ask me and of course, so much more.
Everyday was different and an adventure in one way or another. God revealed himself to me in ways I never imagined.
He showed me what a joy it is to be used by Him.... not work for Him, but to be used by Him.
There is a big difference to me.
To work for God implies that there is effort on my part or duty but to be used by Him is partnership, friendship and stepping into what He has prepared, carries through, and finishes off as I stand in awe!
He is the healer and healing. He is provider and more than enough. He is so good .. if I could just stop putting a limit on His goodness, when I taste His goodness there is no way I could want or need anything else! He is full of grace and mercy. He qualifies and equips. He is trustworthy, He knows what He is doing, He is bursting to show Himself to us, bursting to show His love to us. He sends out His word and makes it come to pass. He longs to spend time with us and show us His heart. He is unconditionally faithful, ALWAYS WITH US, what more could I ask for. All I could keep thinking is, JESUS IS ALIVE! He really is alive!
He showed himself in the good times, in the bad times, sometimes it was easy, sometimes it was really difficult. Most of the time is was humbling. We were full, we were hungry, we knew exactly what we were doing and then usually found out that that is not what we were doing at all. We painted alot. We were in the richest part of Mexico and the poorest part of Nicaragua. I slept in hotels, in bus stations and almost a petrol station! We travelled in buses, trucks, bakkies, taxis, chicken busses, walked and travelled with cars met all sorts of interesting people. Spoke more Spanish than English. We ate sheep, chicken and who knows what else, head to toe.. literally. God showed me how to love Mormans, Catholics, people who live on a rubbish dump, the sick, the healthy, nobodies, somebodies, children, grannies and everyone inbetween. God even connected us, South Africans with missionaries from Zimbabwe living in Nicaragua!
His heart is for us to be unified in Him! To breakdown the dividing wall, walk across the room and connect with eachother. John 17 describes that THIS UNITY is how the world will know that Jesus was sent by God and that He actually really loves us. When we love (not just put up with eachother), give our lives for eachother. Expecting nothing in return! Of course Jesus, the pioneer has already perfectly done this for us and this is the only way it is even possible to follow His example.
Something I realised is that there is also no security in what we do and only security in who we are. If our actions are not an expression of who we are, life is a real struggle with joy being a distant memory or an unreachable dream. When we start with who we are, Human BEings not human DOings, we express who God has made us to be instead of trying to supress who we are not.
Thank you Lord for taking us from Mexico, Cancun where you open doors from before we set foot into central America while getting our Mexican visas in Cuba to very first person we met in Mexico inviting us to serve at his church Mundo de Fe. Where you brought healing revival and new life. Thank you Lord for guiding us on our 10 day Luke 10 journey from Mexico to Guatemala. Providing beautiful lake view accomodation. Connecting us with amazing peope of faith from Guatemala to Costa Rica. Showing us where to go, who to speak to and how to show them your love. Taking us to volcanos, across borders and through tunnels.
Thank you for opening doors and planning this all so long ago. Thank you that YOU can be known by US. You truely are amazing God.
Comments
Valerie, your writing here is so true. It us tge greatest privilege to be used of God, not work for God. I am so glad that you are experiencing what He planned for you so long ago. May the next months be continued open doors and devine connections. Sending my love to the team