Encouragement When Things Are Not As You Planned

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Wait on the Lord and Be of Good Courage

Recently one of my dear, elderly family members fell and was injured. In order for her to return to her home instead of a nursing home for rehabilitation (which we fervently prayed for due to COVID-19 concerns), God made a way for me to travel from Costa Rica to the United States in order to be with her. He aligned so many things to make this possible, including the timing of her fall and the announcement from the Costa Rica Ministry of Health that the borders of Costa Rica will be opened to travelers from the U.S. beginning November 1, 2020. Without the open borders I would not have been able to travel to the U.S. and return to Costa Rica.

I cherish my time with this godly woman and I am thankful God is helping her recover amazingly quickly. But the working situation has its challenges. I had hoped to continue posting and ministering to people through the Confidence in God blog, but technology has not been my friend during these few weeks in the U.S.

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This is a picture of my current workstation. It is not a well-equipped desk in front of an open window with a cool breeze blowing like I have in Costa Rica. Instead, It is a 4 foot by 18 inch folding table wedged between a bed and a wall in front of a closed window because it is only 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside and I am working at the end that is 18 inches wide. You will notice the chair is crowded between the wall and the table. There is no room for me to pull the chair out in order to sit at the table. Thus, I have to sit on the bed and swing my legs over the back of the chair and slide them through the space between the seat of the chair and the table. I can’t even stand up.

You may also notice my mouse and some of my resources are on the bed. Although there is room behind my computer to store some files, there is no room on the table for working. I purchased two different printers with hopes of being able to print various resources I need while working, yet you will not find a printer on the table. I had to return both of them because I have very limited Internet connection. I must use a mobile hot spot and it is not fast enough to load the drivers for either of the printers. When I need to print something, I must email it to myself, go downstairs to a common area, log into my email account and print it on a printer provided for the use of the tenants.

Why am I sharing all of this? Am I just having a pity party? No, I am actually writing to encourage you. I have had my moments of frustration, particularly while trying to set up the printers and determining that neither one of them would work for me. And through it all I kept praying that God would help me get the resources and have the focus I needed to write the next blog post. When the resources I thought I needed didn’t work despite all my efforts, I sat back and asked God, “What am I supposed to do?”

God is always faithful! We need only wait patiently on Him to guide us (Psalm 37:7; Psalm32:8). God reminded me that in spite of my plans, He directs my steps (Proverbs 16:9 ESV). He provided all I needed, which did not include a working printer or strong and dependable Internet access.

I write to you today to encourage you. When facing times that aren’t turning out like you planned, instead of continuing to pray for what you want and what you think you need, just sit down, thank God for His faithfulness, acknowledge His guidance, and listen as He speaks to your heart. You will soon have a desire to take the steps He is directing with the resources and focus He is providing. You can be confident in God’s faithfulness.

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Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalms 27:14