Waiting on God

This past November I was on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic.  Mid-week we finished some of our project work and felt God impress on our hearts to make a quick stop to see a dear friend named Evelyn.  Let me introduce you to this amazing woman.

Eveyln is a woman like no other person I know on earth.  Evelyn has surrendered her life to God’s will and is sold out for Jesus.  She has sacrificed and become a surrogate mother to 26 young children in her humble home.  Many of these children are orphans in the truest sense of the word and are completely dependent on Evelyn, and some are not.  Literally, on a daily basis, Evelyn is on her knees, praying for God to provide the most basic needs for her and the children.  Repeatedly, I have shown up with others unexpectedly with groceries and find Evelyn’s cupboards and refrigerator bare.

This November day, the same situation took place. The kids were hungry.  We brought groceries to stock the shelves and played with the kids. Somehow a 20 minute visit turned into 2 hours. As we were leaving Evelyn got tears in her eyes and shared that the entire week she had been waiting on God and had been teaching the children about fasting.  They really did not know where their next meal was going to come from when we showed up with mountains of grocery bags, unannounced.  Our visit was completely unplanned and unexpected.  God used us to be the provision for Evelyn and the kids. Exactly what they had been praying for!  As you can imagine, there were many hugs and tears.  What a joy to be used as God’s provision to those in need.  Wow! God is good, all the time!

There were so many lessons in this for me that I’d love to share.

First, God revealed Himself as Provider God to the kids as they were learning about fasting.  We are never too young to see God be an alive and active God.  Just think what these kids now know about Provider God. I pray this experience made a lasting impression on their hearts and minds. In their time of need in the future, I pray they will call out to their heavenly Father.

Secondly, slow down and be flexible. God could be up to something BIG.  Our team could have gone back to the guesthouse to rest or said no to God’s prompting.  Look how God used us to be a major part of His plan in providing and teaching an amazing lesson to all of us.  I never want to be too busy to hear what God has for me or miss the blessing.  How many other opportunities have I missed because I was running too fast?

Thirdly, never stop praying, trusting in a faithful God and waiting on Him! “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink: or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:25-34

Evelyn has been an example to me in her waiting on God. I was blessed to be used by God in this situation.  I always want to have my heart available, my eyes and ears open to how God wants to use me.  I must wait on Him and be willing to say, Yes, Lord, here I am.  Send Me. Use me, I’m Yours.  Isaiah 6:8

 

-Wendy Niemeyer