Wednesday, July 28, 2010

When God Says...

Another helpful and fun book for your Amazon wish list is Diving Off the Pedestal, by one of my closest friends and coworkers, Lila Joy Quezada. She’s another down-to-earth, very genuine person you will appreciate. In her book, Lila tells the story of how her family came to join us nine years ago as a result of a timely (God-orchestrated) email from Jim and me.

The rest of the story (shortened blog version) is that we had been discussing with the president of our sending organization our desperate need for more workers on the field. Sadly, even if we recruited someone that very day, I told him, it would take at least a year and a half for anyone to go through interviews, orientation, support-raising, packing, language learning, and house-hunting before finally beginning to work with us. Surely God saw this crisis well ahead of time and had already prepared someone in advance. Right?

Within 24 hours of this discussion, we received their prayer letter, asking people to pray for direction for them. After 12 years of pastoring a Hispanic church in Oregon, they felt it was time to return to Latin America. Since we already knew them from our early days in Guatemala, of course we jumped at the possibilities, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today is a different story.

Since, once upon a time, God provided a coworker for my husband, a dear friend for me, and many companions for all of my children among the now 8 Quezada kids, I was ever so hopeful that God would work a similar miracle and bring the “Hayes Zoo” (one of our faithful WOTH readers) and family to work with us. They, too, already spoke Spanish and were already working in Latin America. They also had children who were becoming good friends with my youngest two. It all seemed so perfect…until we got their email indicating it’s just not going to happen. After a few months of unsuccessfully trying to raise support, the door is closed tight. They are settling back in the U.S. instead.

Now we are back in the position of praying for a younger couple like the Hayes, who might catch the vision for reaching unreached non-literate people groups in southern Mexico. While personally disappointed, my heart really goes out to the Hayes family back in limbo, readjusting to life in America. Their question is “How do you respond when God says ‘No’ to something you think is just perfect?”

IRL*How would you answer them?

3 comments:

  1. I USED to respond with a long tirade of how He was running things wrong and how this really is best and why didn't He see it, etc.

    Over the last few years He's been teaching me that my idea of efficiency and efficacy isn't His. He cares more about the heart (mine, the other missionaries', the people's in the church) than in "doing it right" (at least right according to me).

    So . . . . lately I've been working hard at sitting back, crossing my arms, and giving a wry smile when God says "No." Then I say to Him, "Ok God, I'm ready for the show!" He never ceases to amaze me with how much better He is at "fixing" situations than I am.

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  2. Nice! I like your perspective. Get ready for the show...

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  3. I have that book...loved it! I'll have to pull it back out and read it again since it's been a while...

    I think I relate to Beth, God has been working on me in this area, too...could be the wrong timing, too, who knows. For certain, however, God does have a plan to meet these ministry needs and it will be an adventure. :)

    Kinda wish we were the ones heading your way...we're actually on the other side of the equation at the moment! Just not sure where God is leading, exactly, so we're waiting for a show of our own! lol

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