Good morning. I started stirring this morning at 4:30 a little earlier than normal and thought why fight it, get up and write. Maybe it was the fact that I stole a nap yesterday on our new sofa. Or maybe it was the fact that I was up in the attic pulling speaker wire yesterday, stepped through the ceiling in the garage, banged up my leg and couldn’t get comfortable. Probably both. You know, there’s a whole sermon in that leg through the ceiling experience, “picking your steps wisely in this world.”
Tomorrow starts a new journey for Margie and me & I thought I would share. Take you on the past journey that led to this new one. I’ve been talking a lot here in the 5MC about what it takes to hear God, talk to God, and be in His word in order to discern His path. Well, practicing something only makes you better at it, here’s the walk we’ve experienced over the last 120 days and how its helped us to better hear God’s voice, see His hand directing us and trust in both. It’s a little long so find a quiet spot, a comfy chair and join me for the ride.
Let’s start our journey on the sunny island of Maui, Hawaii. God had called us there to serve with Lahaina Baptist Church and we were firmly where God wanted us to be. We served the for the first year and the second year we had gotten jobs both for the income as well as the health insurance. I was selling aloha shirts to tourists at Tommy Bahama and Margie was selling handbags at Kate Spade. We had a fulfilling service, decent jobs, a cute little 560 sq ft place (with AC!) and hello…we’re on Maui! It seems life is right where we want it, huh? Then God speaks.
Now I often have people ask, what do you mean when you say God spoke to you or God called you? I would say its just like my relationship with my sweet Margie. After almost 23 years of marriage we almost finish each other’s sentences. We have been blessed with a love and closeness that allows us to almost read each other’s minds. It’s a beautiful, blessed love that has grown with time. It’s no different with God. The more you talk to Him (prayers) and the more you allow Him to talk to you (His Word) the deeper the relationship gets. Just like any other relationship it takes time and work. Time to grow together and some work to get through trials and ups and downs as you become one. One important note: Just like in other close, intimate relationships, it’s all based on the deepest level of love & trust you can imagine. I offered my 100% unbridled, unconditional love to God just like I did to Margie. In turn they offered theirs and that results in trust. Without that type of love and trust as a foundation, no relationship can truly thrive long term.
So here we are on Maui, the tiger by the tail, the world on a string and God’s voice is starting to say, “not too quick, don’t get to comfortable, I’ve got other work for you.” Now this shouldn’t have surprised us as we pledged to go wherever He called. But I mean come on this is Maui, right? Our church is here, our jobs are here, we live here. Read all that as we had gotten comfortable here. Comfort can be, at times, an enemy of serving God. If you’ve got life all figured out, your doing it all on your own and you’re all comfy and cozy in your own existence, then why do you need God? Comfort can slowly and deceptively distance you from God. We really started to buckle down and pray hard for God’s voice to be crystal clear in His direction for us. After all, scripture tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17, Eph 6:18, ) be specific to God in our prayers (John 5:15, Job 22:27, Mark 11:24) and He will answer (1 John 5:14-15)
God had plugged us into all kinds of roles at Lahaina Baptist & we knew that we couldn’t leave any ‘holes’ at the church if God was calling us away. We got busy and started praying for God to bring certain people to the church to fill very certain roles that we had been helping with. Now keep in mind this is Maui and not Dallas, Atlanta or New York, its Maui. A 750 square mile island, 2700 miles from LA and closer to Japan than to the mainland US. It has about 120,000 people on the whole island and about 15,000 on the west side of the island where Lahaina is located. Asking for God to bring a guitar playing volunteer worship leader is quite the optimistic prayer on Maui. But that’s what we prayed and that’s what God did. He brought a young man from Texas with a heart for worship that to this very day moves my soul. We prayed another great prayer, we need someone that can take over the entire Audio/Video tech department and not just take it over but take it to the next level and again, volunteer. God answered that prayer. He brought not just the man but his whole family to the island of Maui from Ohio. We prayed for God to bring someone to take over the administrative duties and support the Pastor, God brought that person too. We had asked for God’s voice and instead of hearing God’s Voice we saw God’s provision. He can speak in so many beautiful ways. God had indeed spoke to us, your work is done here.
As far as where to go, that was another great conversation with God over several months. It involved tears, heartache and so many questions. Following God is not easy but every single ounce of pain, hardship and heartache, He uses to make you a better servant, and just a little bit more like Christ. His eventual answer? “I haven’t called you anywhere else, so go back to Texas.” Now, this seemed an odd answer, the world is an awful big place and you want us to go back to where we came from? OK, you’re the boss.
Now for the second time in 2 years we’re relocating long distance. We decided to sell our island beater car, and old PT Cruiser (that only really started when she felt like it) and keep our good ol’ reliable Toyota truck. We shipped it to Long Beach California, flew over to meet it and then road tripped from California back to Texas. What a beautiful adventure that was.
During all these plans to depart Maui, God offered a house in Texas. In our experience, many times when you are thoroughly in His will He can move things along very fast. The house seemed like it happened in the blink of an eye. We found something we liked online, had our parents go take a look, made and offer below asking price, it got rejected twice, we gave up and then the sellers called back and said OK and we bought it. BAM, God said here’s you a house. We bought a house in Texas from Maui, sight unseen. Pretty crazy, but another sign that we were hearing Him correctly.
As we returned to Texas, I had pledged to God that since we were going back to the ol’ stomping grounds that I would not relent in my service to Him. I would make Him my priority and continue to serve with zeal (John 2:17) I did not want to get back to Texas and do what we did before. Get jobs, work 50 hours a week, make money, buy a lot of stuff we didn’t need and go to church a few times a month. That is not what God had asked, He said, “don’t let yourself slip back into that rhythm of life.” God had also given me the idea of somehow making this new house a home base and serving on 30-60 or 90 day mission trips. As God provided these opportunities we could just lock up the house and leave but always have a home to return to. I’ve never heard of this kind of missionary setup before and dismissed it. I mean how can that ever work? We’ll come back to that later.
Now we’ve been in our house for all of about 1 week and the phone rings. It’s our good friend Bekah and she says, “hey, there’s a retreat in Tyler this weekend that works with international college students ya’ll wanna come?” Now here we stand, new home, not unpacked, garage full of boxes, house needs work and we barely know where our toothbrushes are. The retreat is 5 hours roundtrip and will be an overnight as well. Our first reaction…are you kidding? Now? Pack another bag when we’re not even unpacked? But God quickly reminded me of my pledge, “don’t get back to Texas and get soft on me, you’re my servant, serve.” So we called back and said yes. We packed bags from other packed bags and that weekend drove down to Tyler. God’s call can come in so many forms. Looking back it was not just a phone call to go to Tyler but it was God’s call, setting up a divine appointment that He had set long ago.
We arrived at the camp, knowing no one but Bekah, but quickly plugged in and started serving. The program was phenomenal, and it touched and moved these College students in ways I’ve never witnessed. We fell in love with the students, their hearts and how the program reaches them. At lunch the first day Marge & I sat and visited with Jonathan, the executive director that had driven down for the camp. Nice guy. At the end of the first day, I’m greeted by another guy named Craig and find out He sits on the board of directors for the company. We visit, and I tell him we just got back from serving in Maui. He asks what my plans are for work. Work? Work? Somehow in the mix of serving God I hadn’t even thought about work yet. I knew I would have to get a job soon but I had pledged to God to serve Him and that’s what I was doing. At this point in walking with God I figured He would give me the job He wanted me to have when He wanted me to have it. The next sentence out of Craig’s mouth….Our US operations guy just quit would you be interested? What?
The way God moves is so amazing for me to witness. I just stand in awe. He moves His people where He needs them to perfectly align them with His plan for their lives. It was perfectly apparent that He had this trip to Tyler materialize to put me in front of the right people, to offer this job. When you follow Christ there is no such thing as coincidence.
Now right after we got back home from the camp the phone rang again. It was our dear friends Matt & Grace from Village Baptist in Destin, Florida. Matt & Grace had brought a team of 17 to LBC on Maui a year back to help us put on a VBS. Matt & Grace had stayed with us in our 750 sq ft 1 bedroom, 1 bath apartment. Let me just say, we got very close in that small space! It was an immediate God connection and we have always stayed in touch. Grace had recently been diagnosed with cancer and it was going to be pulling her and Matt away from their summer duties at church and they needed some help. “Would you & Margie be willing to come down & help”. Now immediately I think back to that idea God had planted about home basing here & shooting out to do short term mission projects. Is this really happening?
They needed almost 6 weeks of help and we said yes to God immediately. How could you say no, He had prepared us for this months before. That’s how God speaks sometimes. He prepares your heart beforehand so that when the request comes it seems so normal to give him your yes!
While in Destin we loved, we served, we worked VBS, we worked with the young adults, we cleaned, we built, we painted, we started the 5MC, we even went to youth camp for a week in Mobile Alabama with 14 of the sweetest kids. Oh, what joy to be in God’s will. The peace of being where He wants you when He wants you there is one of the most remarkable feelings I’ve ever experienced. It’s a real spiritual ‘high’, I call it a “God high.’’
During our Destin trip, the job opportunity is progressing. The company is based overseas and I had a phone interview with its creator and president. I went on to have several more phone interviews over the next 2 weeks and they concluded in an offer. Not a job offer, but an offer to come and be part of their annual student camp in Hong Kong. What? Hong Kong? Who goes to Hong Kong? We do. And we go because God offered it and we are obedient. We go back home from Destin for 2 weeks and then we leave for China. If anybody ever thought that serving God was boring or uneventful, they’ve never truly served God.
The China camp was a true paradigm shift for us. New geography, new culture, new food, new customs, a new world. As Aladdin & Jasmine would say, ‘It’s a whole new world.’ God opened our minds and our hearts and radically changed our perspective. Working with the Chinese college students all week was amazing. If you told me I would be able to learn to love a stranger from another continent in one week I would say it was impossible. But God makes the impossible possible.
We continued to interview for the job while in Hong Kong as all the board members were there for the big annual camp. Margie and I love visiting with new people and I never see an interview as an interview, only the opportunity to visit with a new friend I’ve yet to make. The interviews went well.
We got back from Hong Kong 3 weeks ago. This is the longest we’ve slept in our new home since we bought it back in February. I look back on the last 120 days and see God’s hand upon our lives like a child drives a Hot Wheels car around a track. I’m not sure where I’m going but He does. He sees the entire track laid out & knows exactly where He wants me to go. Along the road trip there will be detours, beautiful scenery, road stops, and obstacles and troubles, but He knows them all and His hand never lets go of me. My job? To let Him do His job. Let Him guide me with His loving, caring hand and to simply be obedient to His call. To listen for His call and serve Him. Serve Him with joy. Serve Him with passion. Serve him with all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my mind and all of my strength.
As for the job….I start tomorrow.
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