Even When We Don't See

Several months ago, just before Caleb was born, I received an email from a girl who had visited one of the FH communities in Peru with her church.  I had the opportunity of helping receive and accompany her church's team to Chincha for a week.  Since then I really have not had any contact with her, but as she shares in her email below...God was at work:

Hi Lauren, 
I want to share some exciting news and how I believe you to have played a part in it!

I'm moving to Chiang Mai, Thailand this December to serve the Bang Pong community with my fiance. He's been over there since last December and we were recently approved to return as a married couple. Exciting news! And I've been asked many a time what the road looked like in coming to believe that God was preparing me to serve full-time as a missionary. It's always starts with Chincha ...and you. Truly! I remember watching you and wondering to myself if it (long-term missionary work) was something I could ever do. At the time it was so far-fetched but nonetheless you had an impact on me. I wish I could say it was this or that in particular, but I think it was just the seed of seeing a glimpse of your world. There's not much more to it than that, and I hope this is an encouragement to you. I'm seeing how powerful these messages and stories can be when you're on the front lines...I'm trusting it's coming at the right time though, and serves as a reminder of how God uses us in our obedience in so many ways beyond what we think of. :) 

I am always encouraged by how God works.  Sometimes I get trapped in thinking that being used by God depends on me - my decisions, my actions, and that it is limited to what I can see I am doing.  But this could not be farther from the truth.  God's plan for us is greater than we can imagine, and it depends on Him.  All we have to do is embrace where God has us today, and allow Him to work through our lives when and where ever we are, and he uses us even when we don't see it.  

Since moving to Peru, I thought God would use me to share his Love with Peruvians, but God is bigger than that.  God can use me her in Peru to touch the lives of someone in the US and even be part of His work on the other side of the world, in Thailand.  When I received this email, it was a reminder to me to trust Him.  As I reflect on all the changes in my life and ministry over the last year, I need to trust Him.  Thanks be to God that I don't have to understand or even see how He is using me to know that He is.  Thank you Lord.

May the Lord continue to use you and grow you right where He has you.

Lauren