This past summer, God gave me a gift: three months with a friend whose presence, stories, and experienced altered my perspective. I had no idea what to expect when I arrived to my dorm room at SIL and saw sheets on a bed, a water bottle, and a computer – nothing else. I didn’ t have any idea who my roommate was or what she was like. I was blessed beyond belief. With three years of experience in India, she had many things to impart into my life. Without knowing it, she challenged me to think about things I had never considered. I gained a greater perspective because of our conversations.
Through some of these conversations, I began to recognize that I still had a lot to learn. There were times I would tell God, “I don’t think that I’m prepared to handle some of the things that cross-cultural workers face…” Surrounded by dozens of people with years of experience, I tried to absorb and learn as much as I could, but I would occasionally feel discouraged.
One weekend, I decided to borrow the book The Hiding Place from my friend Ashley. It had been years since I had read the book and it immediately captured my attention. God spoke to me through a story at the beginning of the book. Corey, as a little girl, encountered the subject of death for the first time. She talked with her father and insisted that she couldn’t live if something happened to him.
“Corrie,” he began gently, “when you and I go to Amsterdam – when do I give you your ticket?”
I sniffed a few times, considering this. “Why, just before we get on the train.”
“Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we’re going to need things, too. Don’t run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need – just in time.”
As I read that, tears filled my eyes. I suddenly knew that when the time would come to face challenging circumstances, I would have what I need. Time and time again this has come to mind as I think of leaving in January. Will I have the courage to step out into the unknown? The strength to leave my friends and family? The money to cover my expenses? Time and time again the same answer comes: The ticket is in my Father’s pocket. Everything I need is within His reach, and I can trust that He will give me what I need just in time. I found this picture and designed it to fit just what I’ve been thinking:
Don’t forget. What you need is in His pocket.