"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
We all go through trials. There are times we do not understand what is going on. It is during these times that I try my best to keep my eyes on Jesus.
Several years ago, we had a trial at the church we were serving at. The people in charge wanted to close this little church down. We got on our knees; we trusted God that it was not time for the church to close.
Whenever I need confirmation from God I prayed for a sign much like Gideon, instead of a wet cloth and dry ground I pray for teddy bears in strange places. God has sent them over and over, a bear on a perfume counter, a pest control bear, and even a bear maze through a corn field. These are just some of the teddy bears God has sent me to confirm that it's alright to move forward.
At the time of this little church's decision and how we were to move forward, God sent me several teddy bears in strange places. I had confidence that God would keep this little church open and He did!
At the beginning of the year, we knew there was a small, very small group of people who were trying to do their own agenda. We were uncertain as to what would happen, but we were certain we had God to go to. We prayed and had several of our prayer warriors praying.
Again, when I need confirmation from God, I asked for the teddy bears in strange places. At first I wasn't getting any. This is not so unusual, sometimes God teaches us to wait. At this time I believed that my husband may need the confirmation more than me. God was working on him and his trust. Sure enough once he received his signs from God that we would be able still serve God where we were, I received my confirmation.
This gave me assurance that it would be God's will that we would stay. There was also something different this time, God was giving me other ideas like a home church. He was letting me know even if His will wouldn't be followed He would still have us in His hands.
There are time when other people do not follow God's will. They make decisions without truly checking with God. There are times when I've followed my own agenda rather than God's, we all do it. The good news is that God still has us.
The night we went to find out if we would still get to serve God where we were, we were 99% sure God's will would be done. Unfortunately, the 1% happened. We would no longer be serving God here. We were devastated.
But God still is God....
We knew God wanted us to still serve Him. Now the question was "What now Lord?" Is it a home church or is it something else?
A month before we heard the decision of those higher up, my husband needed a retreat. The weekend before I discovered that the pastor of the men's weekend did not have an assistant pastor to serve with him. I suggested my husband go and forget about all the turmoil going on. While he was there he met a pastor of another church, who kept saying "I need an assistant pastor". My husband didn't think much about it after all we knew what God's will should be.
Soon after sharing that God's plan didn't happen, God's other plan was taking shape. No matter how devastated I was feeling I still knew God had great plans for us. This pastor reached out to my husband.
God opened up a place for my husband to continue to follow his calling. A place where he could still serve God, teach about God, and trust in God. A place where I can still serve God, teach about God, and trust in God.
I will continue to seek out God's will and ask for teddy bears in strange places whenever I need assurance. I will continue to follow Him even if other's don't. I will trust that God knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me.
The same is true for all those who trust in him.
