“Though the L0rd gave
you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to
teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will
hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’
whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21
you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to
teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will
hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’
whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21
Greetings to you all and gratitude to our Father
for your journey with us in 2012!!
Glimpse of G0d’s Glory #4
F@tith/ His Power
Two years ago as I walked by and greeted a vibrant lady who sells
peanuts– a lady I greeted many times in passing by– G0d’s Sp!r!t spoke
to my heart. He spoke to me and simply said, “I want you to come and
sit with this lady.” Just a few weeks later, C@therine came to M@li and
we began sitting on the street with her. You know her as O, the peanut
lady. We have shared many stories with you and there are so many more
that we have not shared but longed to share. G0d has truly been at work
in O’s life as well as the lives of many of those we have come to know
on the street who work beside her. When G0d spoke to me that day, I had
no idea what He had planned or what His purpose was for our time sitting
with O on the street. Today, I have a greater understanding.
In
2011, O began professing that she was the same as us–that she believed
in J.s.s the same as us. In 2012 we have seen O grow in her faith and
she has seen G0d’s f@ithfulness to her. When the C0up D’Et@t happened in
March, O was another reason my heart was broken that we had to leave
M@li for a season. She was another reason I cried out to G0d begging Him
to allow us to return to finish what He had begun. While O was strongly
professing to be a f0ll0wer of J.s.s or one of “J.s.s.’s sheep”, I was
not sure she was strong enough or understood enough to continue
f0ll0wing J.s.s if war, r3b3ls, or 1sl@mists challenged her bel!ef.
During our time away, G0d taught me and prompted me to remain in close
contact with O through this time of difficulty in M@li. We would pr@y
together and share our struggles together over the phone. Through these
times, G0d showed His f@ithfulness to her as she watched Him answer our
pr@yers. One day she said, “Fanta, when we pr@y G0d answers us and does
what we ask.” Pr@ying and putting our f@ith in G0d has become the
foundation of both of our relationships with J.s.s. Here are some of the
glimpses of G0d I have seen as G0d has passed by to disciple and empower O this year:
2011, O began professing that she was the same as us–that she believed
in J.s.s the same as us. In 2012 we have seen O grow in her faith and
she has seen G0d’s f@ithfulness to her. When the C0up D’Et@t happened in
March, O was another reason my heart was broken that we had to leave
M@li for a season. She was another reason I cried out to G0d begging Him
to allow us to return to finish what He had begun. While O was strongly
professing to be a f0ll0wer of J.s.s or one of “J.s.s.’s sheep”, I was
not sure she was strong enough or understood enough to continue
f0ll0wing J.s.s if war, r3b3ls, or 1sl@mists challenged her bel!ef.
During our time away, G0d taught me and prompted me to remain in close
contact with O through this time of difficulty in M@li. We would pr@y
together and share our struggles together over the phone. Through these
times, G0d showed His f@ithfulness to her as she watched Him answer our
pr@yers. One day she said, “Fanta, when we pr@y G0d answers us and does
what we ask.” Pr@ying and putting our f@ith in G0d has become the
foundation of both of our relationships with J.s.s. Here are some of the
glimpses of G0d I have seen as G0d has passed by to disciple and empower O this year:
- Seeing her face light up as she looked at the pieces of the
nativity scene and heard the stories of each person in the story of
J.s.s birth. Watching her contemplate those truths each time she came
over and looked at the nativity. - Upon hearing the stories and truths about J.s.s being the Good
Shepherd, her confession that she belongs to Him, she is one of His
sheep. G0d continues to use that story to teach her new truths about
f0ll0wing Him and listening to His voice. - Seeing the Presence of G0d’s Sp!r!t teach her as she listens to
His Word and sings songs of f@ith. Her hunger to understand the words
to the Christian songs she listens to continuously. Watching her f@ith
grow as she comes to understand the truths in those Christian songs. - Watching O spontaneously share a song that spoke new truths to
her heart with a friend on the street…totally lead by G0d’s Sp!r!t in
her. Then watching her explain what it meant to her friend. - Driving
down the road one day and the sun was not shining. It was very cloudy
and looked like rain. O said, “Fanta, if the sun does not come out, my
peanuts will be broken.” So I told her G0d rules the sun and the rain.
He is able to bring out the sun to dry your peanuts.” At the time, I
didn’t know exactly how to pr@y and ask G0d in Bambara to hold back the
rain and send out the sun so O’s peanuts could dry. So I mumbled through
it as I talked with her and she taught me how to say it. So then we
pr@yed together. Within the hour, the clouds were gone, the sun was
bright, and the peanuts were not broken. At the end of the day, O and I
had seen the realness of G0d’s Presence and His response to our f@ith in
Him. It has become a foundation stone in O’s f@ith to pr@y and ask G0d
to help her. - Watching O wavering back and forth one morning about whether to
do peanuts or not. Again the sun was not out and a DARK rain cloud was
passing over. She could not decide what to do. I told her, “Either way
you must believe G0d for what you need. If you wash the peanuts, you
must have f@ith that G0d will give you the sunshine you need to dry
them. If you wait until tomorrow, you must have f@ith to believe that
G0d will send sunshine tomorrow.” She stood up, looked to the sky, and
said, “I believe G0d for the sunshine to do what I need to do today!”
With boldness, courage, and f@ith, she went to get water, washed her
peanuts, salted them, and put them out for G0d to dry them. By the time,
she put the out to dry, the dark cloud was gone and the bright sunshine
was warming their spot for drying. (One of my favorite glimpses of
G0d’s gl0ry…the empowering of His child with f@ith to believe Him!)
She boldly told everyone what G0d had done for her because she believed
Him.
G0d has given me many glimpse of His G0ry as we have watched O
come to know Him, understand Him, and believe in Him…more glimpses to
come…