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Many of you know that my daughter, Julia, has a passion for children. So much so that she asked everyone to send her to Romania to work with abused and abandoned children as a graduation present from MTSU after Christmas. Hopefully she will finish up her fundraising in the next week or two, but that is just the first part of a story that none of us knew the end of until Tuesday. Well, really, we don’t know the complete end yet, but it appears to be quite a masterpiece by our God.
I make an attempt to attend the luncheon sponsored by Highland Park Presbyterian Church on the fourth Tuesday of each month. There are about 25 pastors who attend, and Ken Lane from Mexia and I usually ride together. This past Tuesday there were three international pastors there, two from Africa and one from Moldova. Never, heard of it? Me either!
We go around and introduce ourselves each time and tell something that is going on in our lives or the lives of the congregations we serve. I told about Julia’s upcoming trip and asked for prayer concerning the completion of her fundraising. When the introductions got around to the opposite side of the table, the pastor from Moldova told about his work there trying to save children from child pornography rings, being harvested for human organs sold on the black market, and rescue them from the slave trade in general. Heartbreaking work! He spoke to the group but looked directly at me.
Immediately after our meeting he headed for me and said, “Tell me about your daughter.” I told him how she had spent all her Christmas money last year taking Christmas presents to the impoverished community of Orange Mound, a predominantly black neighborhood in Memphis. I told him about her trips to orphanages in Mexico and her internships on Native American reservations in the Northwest. I told him about her desire to go to Nairobi and work with HIV/AIDS children last summer and how it saddened her when it couldn’t come to pass. His response? “You are a blessed man!”
Yes, I am! The Holy Spirit watches over me far better than I deserve. Now, in addition to the stop in Romania, Julia has an invitation to visit the neighboring country of Moldova and see the work that is being done there. Who would have thought? Who could have known what God would be doing through "chance" meetings like this one.
Think about it, all the little pieces of the puzzle that came together on Tuesday. The fact that I had skipped the last several meetings at Highland Park, but Ken had called me and said, “Let’s go!” The passion Julia has to be an example to non-white, suffering children wherever she can find them. This pastor from Moldova who had also been invited as a guest to the meeting at Highland Park. The fact that Julia had a prayer need of meeting the travel needs for her support, and this was mentioned. All this leads to the possible call of God to what might be a lifelong mission. The puzzle has been more than 12 years in the making since her very first mission trip, but when that one piece is put in you realize the awesome beauty of the picture our God has painted.
His eye is certainly on the sparrow, but He doesn't take it off you or me either! AMEN.
Pastor Craig
PS - The picture is from the Moldovan national capital.
Thank you for sharing this, Craig. Our family has seen in so many tangible ways God's plans unfolding in His always perfect timing. I love Julia's heart and know the Lord will use her mightily in the lives of all those He places in her life.
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