Divine Appointmens on the Journey

June 28, 2009

Thank you everyone for your interest in reading these notes. I would advise you to read them listening for what the Lord is saying to you. Sometimes we are so one dimensional, and He has been challenging me lately to look for the "sermon within the sermon". When I read my Bible, hear a sermon, read an inspirational book or meet and fellowship with another Christian, my ear is tuned to His heart.I am growing in this area, but it amazing what you'll hear when you do this. It's as simple as a prayer, "Lord, what do You want to speak to me today?" So I pray this story of the Journey is inspiring you, and spurring you on in your life with the Lord. That is it's intent. The Big Idea is God is really into you, and cares about the destiny He has for you. He knows that tied to your destiny are so many others destinies. We must hit the mark, and realize our full potential in Him.As you can imagine by the end of August 2008, I was hyper sensitive to what was going on in my life regarding China. I had to pace myself and rest in Him, alot, which is always the best way to go! My heart was so full of what He was saying that I had to ask for His help, just to not be overwhelmed by it!Nicole started her junior year last August. She came home one day and said, "Mom, there is a new kid at school, his name is Johnathan." I said, "What grade is he in?" She replied, "He is in 7th, and Mom, he is from China!" I looked at her and said "Whaaaaat"? "He is from China, Mom."she stated.Maybe that is not so remarkable in itself, but here I was, with an ear tuned in, I felt like my ears were turned way forward all the time, like a horse listening for intructions from his rider. So needless to say, my ears were almost at a 90 degree angle!!! The remarkable part is, the school is in our church building. We are very blessed to house a Christian junior high and high school. My husband, is in and out of the building throughout the day and the week.We encounter students, and actually love the activity which young people bring.Johnathan met Nicole and wanted to know about her dad. He made sure he always told her," He is a good man, Nicole." And then when they met, he immediatley took a liking to my husband.Well, I hadn't met him yet. I was in the church office one day, and there is a window in the reception area, where you can see into the lunch room. I was talking to Mary Ann, our awesome church secretary, and I spotted Jonathan through the window. He was standing, smiling, in amongst all his friends. Smiling is what he is usually doing, he is a ray of sunshine. I said, "Excuse me , Mare, I have to go meet someone."As I walked through the lunchroom to go meet him, this strange thing began to happen to me. The closer I got, the bigger the lump in my throat got so that by the time I walked up to him I was an emotoinal wreck! I tried to introduce myself, and said, with a very husky voice, "Hi, I am Nicole's Mom." All the while clearing my throat!! Well, I got hit with the biggest ray of sunshine, that I have encountered in a long time. "Hello! (Like I was a long lost friend}You are Nicole's Mom? And Your husband is Pastor Jerry?He is a good man. I really like him." I was standing there looking at him with tears at the rim of my eyes, I shakily said, "Nice to meet you Johnathan." And removed myself quickly! I went back into the church office and balled. Poor Mary Ann, she looked at me, and said. "Is everything alright?" I said, "Umm yeah, it's a God thing, I'll explain later."I went into my office and cried and wept. You see it was everything he represents. His story is an amazing one, he is 14 and in China, he was chained to a bed from the age of 2-6. Then he must have been moved to a better orphanage and then he was adopted when he was older. He has a repaired cleft palate, and I am not sure when it was corrected. In China, babies born with any defect, are seen as imperfect and so are shunned by society. Many children there with minor correctable isssues are discarded, which really doesn't leave much hope for the children with more serious issues.So this was going on in my heart when I met him. It all came flooding out through tears, my heart was now, wide open. When you ask the Lord to prepare your heart be ready for Him to mess with you way deep in your heart. I sensed the Father say to me, "This, This right here, Mary, This is what I care about!"So the Lord kept bringing China to me, and the Chinese orphan more specifically. Why China? I really don't know, but I do know He is really into the details and this is where He has me.After that initial meeting, I have had several converstaions with Johnathan, as he was going to class and I was on my way to pray in the sanctuary. One time he said to me, "Mary, don't you love it when Jesus hunts you down?" He is on fire for Jesus and that explains the ray of sunshine that comes out of him.Look for the divine appointments, because in reality, every person you meet is a divine encounter. God has brought them across your path. Be a ray of sunshine to someone, like my friend Johnathan.