In the front office at the station, we have the radio playing in the background.  Over the months, I’ve subconsciously tuned it out since I hear the same songs and commercials and voices.  But today I felt like God had a little something special to share with me through the radio – the very thing I normally pay little attention to.

This morning it was the minute-long devotional that caught my ear.  I won’t reiterate the entire devo, but this particular author talked about being pushed toward a deeper faith. He quoted 1 Peter 1:6-7 (amazing verses by the way) and said:

In order to build your faith, God will give you a dream; then he’ll urge you to make a decision; but then he’ll allow a delay, because in the delay he matures you and prepares you for what is to come.

As God delays, you’ll face two types of difficulties: Circumstances and Critics. This is a natural part of life. God designed it this way because he knows we grow stronger when facing adversity and opposition.

That really hit home for me.  Scott and I feel like moving to the DR is the direction that God has called us.  And yet it’s frustrating when people criticize our decisions.  It’s even more frustrating not to see things progress as quickly as we’d like.  I know there are many reasons for that – we’re young.  We’re both working.  We’re not as bold as we want to be in sharing our passion.   But part of me wonders if this whole idea of God pushing us to a deeper faith in Him doesn’t have something to do with it, too.

I’ve been thinking about where I would be mentally if we were already on the mission field with 100% of our support raised.  Would I have forgotten to thank God for his provision?  Would I have thought I had gotten to the Dominican quickly because of something I had done?  The author of the devo went on to say:

When we finally come to a place where the difficulties become so bad, where we’ve reached our limit, where we’ve tried everything and exhausted all our options, it is then that God begins a mighty work through us.

I had this idea in my head that when I got to the Dominican, then I would really have to start trusting God for strength, wisdom, and provision.  But right now I’m being stretched in my faith more than ever.

Growing up, I remember going on long trips with my family.  As a kid, I obviously had no concept of distance or time. I remember asking, “Dad, are we there yet?” or “Mom, how much longer?”  It was when I finally gave up trying to count minutes or mile markers that time flew and we’d be at our destination before I knew it.

Until recently, I feel like my conversations with God about the Dominican were kind of like those questions to my parents.  “God, come on.  Why aren’t we there yet?  How much longer are we going to have to deal with these barriers and difficulties that are standing in our way?”

Patience and trust are two things that are so hard for me to exercise.  But I think it’s time that I give God control.  I want to be usable instead of trying to make my own way in life.  One of my new favorite quotes is from John Piper: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

Instead of asking God the “Are we there yet?” question, I want my attitude to be one of complete trust and faith that He knows what He’s doing.

Ang