Today, I am going to be going completely off the topic of modesty. I know this is a modesty blog, but honestly, there is a lot I would like to write about not involving modesty. I promise this will only be occasional, as I'm sure you want to read about modesty. But for today, I want to tell you about how everything happens for a reason. :)
Yesterday, I was doing a door-knocking campaign, where we knock on doors, inviting people to an event our congregation is having, and to worship services with us. One of the answers we got was, "I really appreciate what you are doing, but we aren't looking for a change, unless the Lord points us in that direction." This made me think, isn't this pointing you in the right direction? Are you sure this isn't just a nudge in the right direction? I know and understand that signs and miracles no longer occur, but I do know that everything happens for a reason.
Ever since I was little, I have moved a lot. 2 weeks after I turned 13 I had lived in 10 different places. I was born in Texas, where my dad was studying to become a preacher. 9 months later, we moved to Nebraska, then back to Texas where my dad decided he wanted to be a missionary. So we moved to Kansas for a bit, and then moved to Russia for about 3 or 4 months. By this time I was 5 years old. My parents wanted to continue doing the Lord's work there, but no matter how hard they tried, they could only get my dad over there, and my dad refused to go for very long without his family going too. So that door closed, and we started looking somewhere else to live. Between all of this I had moved another 2 times, making me 6 and had lived in 8 different places. After a while, we realized that we wanted a larger congregation to work with, so we moved again, and not being happy there, we moved again. Out of all the places I have ever lived, out of all the places my dad has preached at, not one place have we actually made this much improvement and growth in. Even though we didn't stay in Russia like my parents wanted, we made it somewhere we were needed.
One of the things I find funny is how all of this went down. The previous preacher retired a year before we moved. They had tried out several preachers, but didn't find any they liked. So they went through the pile again, and this time, my dad was one of the options. We were the last one they interviewed, so they were starting to get a bit impatient. They didn't call us back for a little while, so my dad started applying other places. Then, one random night, I was in my room reading a book, when I heard my dad pick up the phone, and hearing the excitement in his voice, I put my book down and rushed to the other end of the house. We finally got a call back. They didn't want us trying out, and we had exactly 30 days to move in. My dad thought about it for a little bit, then gladly accepted. The next day, 3 of the other choices called, offering him to try out there. The thing is, the old preacher quit after 16 years, and we just so happened to start looking somewhere else about 6 months later, and just so happened to be a perfect fit, and we just so happened didn't get any offers until after they hired my dad.
What also makes me smile, is the fact that, we had tried out one place before that. When we first went, we were excited, but after we had left, we were very disappointed. On the way home, we were starting to feel a bit down, so my brother and I started joking around and saying, "Wouldn't it be funny if the other place called us right now and asked us for an interview?" And sure enough, about 5 minutes later my dad got a call, asking for us to try out. Later, I found out that this congregation, was one of the ones that we asked to help support us in our mission trip, and they declined. Except for one donation made from one of the members, who just so happened to be the head of the search committee.
The more I go over that story, the more I just giggle inside. Some people think that things just happen, and there may not be a reason for it. I know that God has a plan for all of us, and we just have to look at the scripture, and keep an open mind for these things. Even though it took us 13 years to find the right congregation, we found one. And my dad has never made as big of an impact as he has here. A lot of people think that God has no plan for them, but that's most likely because either they fail to see it, or it hasn't happened yet. And sometimes, God does nudge us in the right direction. It's not a miracle, or a sign. It's God's will.
I hope this was an encouragement to you. Everyone has a purpose and a place. It may take a while to find it, but no matter how hard times get, it'll always turn out, even if you cant see it at first. And no matter how hard times get, to always stay faithful. :) And sometimes, we have to look at the situation we're in, and use it, and always keep an open mind. Because sometimes, we think we're doing the Lord's will, when we belong doing something else. :) A door easily opened is easily closed, and sometimes, we're not given a door, but a window. And I want to encourage you to always be looking for an open door, or window, even if it's off in the distance, and I also encourage you to start looking for different things to do, so God can use you.
Please be sure and share your favorite article, and "like" Marvelously Modest on Facebook. :)
