Preparing My Heart to Go

In preparing for this trip, I felt that the Lord would have me choose I Thessalonians 5:16-24 to frame my ministry and to guide His work in my life during this time. Little did I know that His refining work would begin while I was still stateside. On Wednesday, May 21, I made what I thought would be the last visit to my doctor before departure, just to be certain I had all the prescriptions I needed. When she learned of my plans, she began to give a list of vaccinations that she thought was necessary and that I obviously had not had. This news sent me into panic mode and set off a flurry of phone calls and emails to the mission board and to Chile. Granted, the CDC has recommendations, which are not requirements, but somehow in all my preparations, I had missed this. I finally decided to get the at least get smallest amount of one vaccine and scheduled the appointment, but when I went for the shot, the nurses informed me that they had just administered the last dose to another person; a clerical error had led to the lack of availability for me. I was clearly displeased; I had traveled across town expecting my vaccination to be there and it wasn’t. My words did not covey my frustration as much as my posture and facial expression. I fumed and panicked for awhile until God reminded me that my frustration was a form of sinful anger, because my needs went unmet and my desires were unfulfilled. The verses in I Thessalonians 5:16-24 presents a much more viable alternative to my initial response. Paul enjoins his readers to “Rejoice always” (v. 16). Such rejoicing does not entail blithely denying one’s circumstances, but rather choosing to refuse to give into a bad attitude, believing that God is sovereignly directing those circumstances. Such a posture is attained and maintained by observing the directive of the second verse to “pray without ceasing” (v.17), i.e. to be in constant communion with God, whereby He can remind you of His loving sovereign control. Then, finally, the knowledge that God is faithful and He will preserve you in every way so that His will may be accomplished in and through the life of each believer. Applying this truth to the situation I recently experienced, I should have trusted the situation to the loving hand of my Heavenly Father rather than entering into panic mode and my subsequent attitudinal issues. Second, when such things occur and they most certainly will, I must pray rather than panic. Third, the knowledge that God is inherently faithful even in the midst of circumstances spinning out of control, should remind me it is He who is truly directing my life.
It’s been a stressful week, but if I can depart for Chile with at least this measure if wisdom and assurance, it’s been worth it.