I’d always believed in miracles, but I thought of them as in
the Bible stories – a man is raised from the dead, five loaves feed five
thousand people, fire comes down from heaven, and so on. Sometimes I’d read mission
stories of courageous people in faraway heathen countries, and miracles
happened for them too. But the idea of miracles was a distant thing –
something that happened a long time ago, or in a faraway country, or to other
people.
But, I’ve been noticing that miracles aren’t old-fashioned;
they happen every day, and they even happen to me. Every breath, every new day,
and all the circumstances that are so much more than coincidence; the way God
has been planning my life, and orchestrating experiences – it is a miracle.
Like I mentioned, I finished school last year, and that left
me in a ‘what’s next?’ stage. I stressed about, because society expected
that I’d either go to uni, or get a job, and I did neither. I’ve got no
problems with working or studying, but that just didn’t work out. I was praying
about it all, and I wanted big bold answers. I wanted God to send me a letter or
something, and tell me exactly what I should be doing. He didn’t. But, He
arranged circumstances and opportunities in ways that were evident that He
does have a plan. It’s different to what I thought, but it’s beautiful, and it’s
more than I could’ve imagined. There’s God for you.
Many years ago, I had that desire to be a missionary. I
presumed that would, of course, mean going to Africa. But I remember praying about it, and distinctly
receiving an impression from God: what about your own country? Ever since then,
I’ve been convicted that my work is still missionary work, but it’s happening
right here. Of course, I still fantasized about lonely outposts in the middle
of nowhere, working with Aboriginal kids maybe – you know, real missionary
style. But then, God brought it even closer to home: what about your own
community, your closest town?
That’s why when I started canvassing it was an answer
to so many dreams, hopes, and prayers. It was God’s clear answer, His
directing. It was a way that I could share with the people in my town, and it
wasn’t complicated. I didn’t have to move to the desert, or give up other
commitments. I could do it at my own pace (although, this isn’t always a good
thing!), and it even paid a tiny bit. But, I needed someone to do it with; my
family preferred I wasn't in town, on the street alone, and they had too many
commitments to join me regularly. But God knew that, and already had an answer.
A friend came to the area, and due to her circumstances, she had very few commitments: the answer to my
difficulty.
It sounds simple, but this has been one of the biggest
miracles I’ve experienced. God worked out a way that I could live this year, do
the things I needed to, and yet have the opportunity to work for Him as well.
Everything I was stressed about has just been absorbed into this plan. I’m not going
to say it’s all peaches and cream – I still have questions about long-term,
there are days when it’s hard. But two things make it worth it: knowing that
you’re in the place where God wants you, and experiencing the joy of being a
blessing to someone else. Albert Einstein said, ‘There are only two ways to
live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though
everything is a miracle.’ And I can say from experience, living as though
everything is a miracle is much more exciting. :)
And, I know God’s miracle working power is not exclusive! What miracles, even tiny ones, has God worked in your life and circumstances? What
are your thoughts on being a missionary? What plans do you have for this year?
P.s Even if this does sound like making decisions about my life was easy: it
wasn't. There were times I wondered where God was. So, if you're going through a
situation like that, wondering what you're meant to be doing, experiencing hard times, all I can say is hold on. He will reveal Himself to you, and in the end, that will be the greatest miracle.
P.p.s It's a step for me to share all this, but reading through Acts and also this post, has inspired and convinced me of the power of a simple testimony. I pray it was of help to someone, and if I may encourage you: I'd really like to hear yours next. :)
