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"But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . longsuffering."
(Galatians 5:22)
As I fly over Canada on my way home from Asia, I am reminded again how blessed we are as followers of Jesus to take the gospel to those who have not heard it. Sharing the good news of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection is the privilege and responsibility of all who know the Lord. Some may not be able to travel, but they can pray and financially support those who can go.
For over 25 years, with God's grace and help, I have been going on overseas mission trips. God has been so good to me, and I'm grateful for each missionary endeavor He grants me. This last trip to Asia was the hardest in some ways but also very rewarding. The challenge was in getting there. We started off in a tough way on Monday. Our flight to Dallas was delayed due to a mechanical issue on the plane. As a result, we missed our flight to Qatar. We were rerouted to Newark, and that is when the fun began! Our team of six, which included my wife Ashley, stayed in a hotel in hopes of continuing our journey the next day. All five of the team were given tickets, but the agent informed me that there was an issue with my passport; when they swiped it, it showed up as Ashley. The problem was an airline agent in Dallas incorrectly entered my passport information. The team boarded the flight without me, and that was a tough moment for the team I was supposed to lead.
What do you do when your plans are altered and out of your control? If you always feel you must be in control, then you are going to hit a wall of opposition. God has been teaching me many lessons on being patient. I must be a slow learner, because I continue to be in situations where the only thing I can do is to wait on God. Can you relate?
After the team left, one of the airline ticket agents said to me, "Sir, can I ask you a question? Why are you not very angry now? How are you staying composed in a situation like this?" I responded with one word: "Jesus." I then explained the Gospel to him, and it was a blessing to be able to do so. I made my way back to the hotel by myself, and God gave me more opportunities to share the good news and encourage fellow believers. One man told me that he was the reason why I was in New Jersey.
The next day I went back to the airport to try again to travel to Asia. But I was met with another very challenging scenario. There was no way I could get to my destination in time to speak at the pastors' conferences. Therefore, I concluded it must mean it is time for me to go home. I was within an hour of buying a ticket back to Austin. But Jan, my administrative assistant, called and told me that she found a ticket online that would get me to another city in the same country which would allow me to serve the second half of the mission trip. And that's what happened. The Lord made a way when there seemed to be no way.
More about being patient in tomorrow's devotional.
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