Clinging to God's Sovereignty

Since the beginning of the year we’ve been plagued by long delays with renewing our passports, getting our current volunteer visa stamped in our new passports and then waiting for approval on our visa renewal application. Due to these inexplicable delays we have had to cancel several ministry trips and our primary ministry format has come to a grinding halt. While we floundered emotionally with these changes, we kept plowing ahead on preparations for upcoming training with the faith that in time, surely, these delays would come to an end.

While I know I can trust God and his perfect planning, I’ve wrestled periodically with doubts. Maybe I’ve done something that put ministry on hold? Maybe I haven’t been praying enough? During worship, prayer times, and preparation these niggling thoughts were usually put to bed, and I was able to move forward quite confidently in spite of repeated disappointments. I appreciated the extra space for rest, relaxation, unhurried Bible study, and creative writing time. In fact, both Randy and I have been feeling quite refreshed. Periodically the doubts roused themselves from their slumber and attempted to intrude into my rest. However, clinging to God’s sovereignty sent them packing.

And then, as quickly as you can say “God’s sovereignty,” all of God’s omniscient wisdom and planning became clear. One phone call from Randy’s mom explained God’s creative delays which positioned us to be at home and readily available to fly back to the States to support her through pending surgery and recovery. Without the delay in passports, and visas we would be somewhere in the middle of Mozambique with our truck when Randy’s mother really needed our physical presence with her. And our delays ensured that most of course planning and teaching preparation was done ahead of time so that we could travel to assist her.

And the elusive work visas? The day after the phone call, we went to Home Affairs to find that our visas were ready – Say what??? The countless delays had conditioned us to be prepared to do “battle,” but the victory was won as soon as God said the word!

So, we are a living documentation to confirm once again that we can cling to God’s sovereignty in trying times of questions, doubts, and delays. We can confidently send doubts back to their resting place. And we can wait in tiptoe expectation for the unfolding of God’s surprises in his precise timing.