Hi all, welcome to Week 22! Last year, I went to a friend's wedding in Guatemala. Another friend, Neely, hosted me while I was there. She has the best balcony view, overlooking volcanoes, as well as an adorable, cuddly doggo! Neely made it a lovely place to stay and so is it any wonder that I renamed her spare bedroom "Laura's room"?!
This week, Neely shares on how so often we want to experience God's miracles but we don't like the part where we're sat in difficulty or need. Her reflection has helped me to stop and think about where I try to manoeuvre out of this space while still wanting God to move. I am sure it will speak to you as well.
In Neely's words...
I sat on the plane, holding my breath as I prayed a slow, simple prayer: “Jesus, I need you to show up.” I was waiting on the tarmac in Indiana, with a passport weeks away from expiring, a list of financial support needs I needed to raise, and a discouraged heart. I had a full month ahead of me - meetings, events, family time, fundraising, figuring out how to get an emergency passport before needing to return to Guatemala.
Little did I know, over the next several weeks, I would see God do miracles I couldn’t have even thought to ask for; a friend willing to drive six hours round trip in one day, just to take me to Chicago so I could apply for a same day passport; old and new donors who provided the necessary funding I needed to purchase a car; and multiple encounters with friends and strangers who would speak life to my weary heart.
The resounding statement I couldn’t get out of my head: “There is no miracle without need.” We so often want the harvest without the breaking of the seeds in the soil, we want the baskets full of fish and bread without first having hunger… and yet quite literally the precursor for the miraculous is almost always need, and often the kind of need that leaves us feeling tired, frustrated, and depleted in our own strength.
I often find myself wanting to choose the path of least resistance; what will be the least painful? ; what can I do in my own strength? ; what won’t require risk and stepping out into the unknown where my own resources and knowledge won’t be enough? Yet, at the same time I want to see God work in me and through me in a supernatural, miraculous way.
Time and time again, I find myself being reminded to be grateful when I come to the end of myself - while it’s rarely the most enjoyable process, it’s often in those moments where I’ve been able to see God show up in miraculous, kind, intentional ways I never would have had I not been in a place of need.
Neely is a 27 year old currently living and doing ministry in Guatemala. She loves a slow morning, a good cup of coffee and time with friends! In her free time you can find her playing softball, writing music, trying a new gluten-free recipe, or playing with her adorable golden retriever!
Thank you all so much for looking at story of God connecting with his people. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Until next week,
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