“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of
the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered
the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but
the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak
over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” – 1 Kings
19:11-13
We have a lot going on here in
Panamá; there’s not a lot of resting to do.
Last night, a friend came over to cook us an authentic Panamanian
dinner! Tonight, all the teenage boys in
the church are coming over for a lock-in.
Tomorrow, a group from a church in Texas is arriving for a week, and
then on Sunday, we’ll have church and start a week full of projects and
activities for the community here in El Valle all over again.
Just like at home in the States,
it is so easy to get preoccupied with the next big thing happening. There is always something to be doing and
preparing for. Tomorrow can always take
our attention away.
When you come on a week-long trip,
you are working constantly. You are
always doing something, but then after some time, it comes to an end and you go
home. When you live in a foreign country
as a career missionary (or whatever you want to call them), you are constantly
preparing for the next group, the next project, the next Bible study, or
whatever comes next—just like a pastor at a church would anywhere.
But God doesn’t always come in the
big things, and frankly, if we only live for the major events in life, we will
miss the comfort of the Lord in the little moments.
Yes, God is present in the church
services, bible studies and short-term mission trips, but he is also present
(and maybe more so) in the simple conversations, personal quiet times, and general
tasks that make up a normal day. I
cannot miss the gentle whisper for the earthquakes and fires. He is present; I must
simply be with Him.
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