The above title is the first part of an old Scottish quote (from Robbie Burns?) that says human plans often "go bad". Like today. After spending what seemed like three hours on the computer earlier this week, I had finally booked flights from New York LaGuardia to Orlando for today (Thursday) and a return flight on Sunday to New York JFK. Today's flight would allow me to rent a car and be with family in Vero Beach by noon and Sunday's flight will allow me to catch my flight from JFK to Rome, to Dubai, to Vietnam. Great planning.
Except! I got a NYC taxi to LaGuardia at 5:00 am and landed on time at 9:30 in Orlando. Moving efficiently to the rental car desk (having found the very best rates available) all was well until I reached into my wallet for my driver's licence. Not there. I never drive in Vietnam so my Alberta licence sits comfortably in my Saigon desk drawer. I forgot to bring it with me. I had to call Kent to drive 90 minutes to get his stranded father. He was willing but his car was at the mechanic so he had to rent a car. And he and Shelly both have Sunday morning church commitments when I need to be heading to the airport. The best laid plans ----.
Today on the plane I was reading Psalm 37:23: "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumbles, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand."
Today's stumble was a first. I have never been caught without my driver's licence before. But I have made more significant stumbles than that - in relationships, in leadership, in planning and in executing plans. I am so glad that God does guide us; that He can turn our mistakes into good things; that He will often allow us to recover from serious missteps and "uphold us" with his hand. That He can make our shaky steps "firm".
We are counting on that as we return to Vietnam. The process toward beginning a legal church for English speaking foreigners has not been anything like what we were told to expect. There was never any indication that it might take 5 months and more to get government approval to move ahead. We still have no idea how long this process may yet take. We are doing our best to take the right "steps" and trusting the Lord to make them "firm". Ultimately we are trusting the promise in Romans 8:28. Hope you are also.
Dear Nelson, indeed it was Robbie Burns... his poem "To a Mouse". Your comments resonate with me! If ever I were pressed to give a single title to our own missions experience, one strong contender would be "Not What I Expected". Aside from our own "stumbles", as you say, the work itself seems to morph and expectations migrate. A few years ago someone wisely counseled me to acknowledge the "gap" between expectations and reality, instead of being unaware of it, ignoring it, or denying it isn't there. I don't always do it well, but God has helped me process frustration through knowing the gaps... which, for His reasons, seem to occur. Blessings! Andrew
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