March 19 2020

Good morning to everyone.  This morning as I pondered our current reality and how we are adjusting by providing these daily blogs as food for thought, figuring out how to have some unity in worship via cyberspace, and gratefully thinking of our church family members who have stepped up to deliver communion elements so that we can all partake together on Sunday, I thought of where we were at a few weeks ago.  

A few weeks ago, we had plans to implement a Revelation Wellness workout; start an ELL (English Language Learners) program; and thought was given to begin trainings of Stephen Ministers because Willie and Esperanza Bryant had completed the Training of Trainers course for this great ministry to our church family. I was wondering what delicacies I would find, that I shouldn't eat, at our fifth Sunday Potluck; and thoughts of Easter Celebration preparation had begun to bounce in my mind.  Now all that is on hold.

As I thought of that, my mind went back to March of 1983.  I was a few months away from graduating from my undergraduate studies at Bible College and my thoughts on the coming months were: "In June I will graduate, based on our current income and expected scholarship help, our financial situation so that we can start support raising for the mission field will be pretty decent". Suddenly, I get a notice that due to financial circumstances, one of my scholarships was reduced from $1500 to $500 and Pam came home and said "I just got fired". It was going to be a challenge for her to find a new job if the employer knew we had plans of leaving the area in three months.  I remember driving around ranting at the Lord. My words were something to the effect of: "Lord, I had this all worked out! Now what? This is really messing with our plans. How could you allow this to happen?"  To be honest, I felt somewhat justified in my complaints to the Lord. Then I heard a voice quote scripture: [Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"--yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." ] Those words come from James 4:13-15. Suddenly, I fetl like I had shrunk so much that I had to reach up to hold the steering wheel. 

The words in James warn of presumption and recognizing there is a divine will and submission to that will. As we proceed in the coming days, let us remember that through this whole mess, God is in control and that the words "His will be done" from the Lord's prayer are not a Chrisitan mantra but an acknowledment that we lovingly yield to HIs plan. 
Have a blessed day, Vic