As an Independent Baptist missionary/ church-planter on deputation, I must visit hundred of churches seeking sponsorship. Our family will be going to the United Kingdom to begin our ministry. Typically, I am quite comfortable presenting our ministry at churches. Why? Because my beautiful wife and adorable son are usually with me. My wife is now expecting our second child in just a month or so. Let's face it, this bald head isn't compelling anyone to support the Greens. They are the "main attraction" (for lack of a better term) of our family- not me. My family (secondary to the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit, of course) is my security, while traveling as I do.
We had been planning on taking a family trip to Florida in July, where we would visit seven churches. The only problem is that Amanda is expecting to deliver the new baby near the middle to end of August. Yet, as close as it was to delivery-time, I never serious pondered the possibility of her not being able to travel Florida. You see, last time she was expecting, she didn't have hardly any complications. This time, however, she has had more complications than we had expected. As a matter of fact, she's had enough complications that the doctor advised her not to travel to Florida.
Immediately, I told my wife that her happiness was more important to me than any trip to Florida and that I would stay and watch after her. She responded by tell me that her happiness depends upon us getting enough sponsorship to go to the UK. She wanted me to leave her and my son(s) for an entire month, just so we could get to the place of God's choosing. What a woman! What sacrifice for the cause of Christ! But how would I do it. I mean, how could I leave her with our son and function without my security blanket- my family? After much spiritual wrestling, I decided to go.
As soon as I awoke on that morning, I was distraught over the thought of being separated from my most prized earthly possession- my family. Every time that I looked at one of them I fought back tears. Most of the time the tears won the fight. Finally the time came, when I kissed my wife and son goodbye and drove off toward my destination. However, just ten or twenty seconds into the drive, I had to pull off of the road. Being the masculine person I am, I was weeping uncontrollably. I said out-loud, "I can't do this." After a few moments, the Lord put a verse on my lips (by the way, I'm not talking about anything mystical). I quoted the verse aloud, "My grace is sufficient for thee; my strength is made perfect in weakness." I then began to tell the Lord that if this verse was true then He would have to prove it to me right then or I was going back home and canceling the Florida appointments. Within seconds, a peace came over me that I had never experienced before. I wiped the tears from my eyes, took a deep breath, and went on my way.
God proved to me once again that His Word is trustworthy for everyday life. Does that mean that life's situations will be easy. No. In fact, He tells us that until we are weak, His strength is not perfect in our lives. Yet, in any situation (whether bad or good) He has promised His children that His grace is sufficient. I am glad that my God is trustworthy! I can't trust in my own ability- I am fallible. But His Word is infallible. If I hope to become profitable to Him, I must put His Word to the test. And I have no reservations about doing that; because I have learned that His Word is trustworthy.
