From Lee*, a SEND mission worker in Asia.
There are good ideas, then there are God’s ideas!
When I was younger, my idea was to become a teacher and I fully expected to teach in America. However, through my girlfriend Karen*, I learned about international schools for missionary children! The more I understood this opportunity, the more I became convinced that God was leading me to teach abroad. Eventually, Karen and I got married, and we began preparing for teaching overseas. Since teaching in a foreign country was God’s idea, He was faithful to take care of the details: He led us to an organization and even provided for us financially. God’s idea sure looked different than my idea of teaching in America!
After several fulfilling years at the missionary children school, my heart became restless and I wondered what God might be doing. When I heard about an opportunity to develop training material for English teachers, the Holy Spirit immediately impressed that ministry on my heart! Karen and I began to pray for direction, and within 10 days God answered 7 of our 8 concerns. God had made His idea clear!
We worked diligently to develop quality training and saw it meeting the teachers’ needs. Eventually, though unexpectedly, God opened doors for me to take the training to another country in Asia. During my second trip to that country, Karen came for a visit. After experiencing the culture, she just happened to express a willingness to move if God would lead us there. This is when I shared with her that moving is exactly what He was revealing to me! We prayed and again, God’s idea became abundantly clear.
Karen had been extremely supportive of the teacher training ministry, but she wasn’t interested in taking the training herself. However, God brought Karen to the place where she realized that taking the training was His idea for her too. In obedience to God’s leading, Karen completed the training. She adapted it to make it her own and now enjoys this aspect of her ministry. God has given Karen a passion for training the teachers, and she does a fantastic job! God always knows what ideas are best for us!
Karen and I have learned that as we are open to God’s ideas, He provides and is faithful. That does not mean it has always been easy. However, as we have followed God’s ideas, He has used us in ways we would never have imagined!
It is great to have ideas of what you would like to do with your life. However, my experience leads me to ask: Are you willing to ask God for His idea for your life? And, are you willing to take the risk and put aside your ideas to follow God’s? If so, I believe that God will use you in a great way!
*Names have been changed for security reasons.
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