Show me your glory

I have prayed about being a member of this team for some time. I have had such a desire to go, but I didn't want to go without knowing the Lord had called. I hadn't felt a clear answer from the Lord, and I had resolved myself to being a prayer partner for those who will travel. Then, the Lord showed up!! He didn't whisper that I should go. My heart felt Him tell me quite clearly that I should GO. Thankfully, as my husband and I prayed about the trip, he heard the same call. Not for himself but for me and our preteen daughter. I tentatively told my praying friends that I was going to sign on for the trip. My heart was sure I was going. My head? Not so much... I went and spoke with my pastor. I had my husband's support of my plans, I felt I needed my pastor's support also. With each step, each conversation, the Lord confirmed his plans.

 

Problem is, our family budget has no cushion to fund a trip to China for me or our daughter, much less both of us. I didn't even have the funds needed for our initial fee as we signed up. My heart trusted our place would remain open for us if this was truly God's will. Even with my heart trusting, I seemed to be hearing the voice of doubt and defeat more than I cared to admit.

 

I started a fundraiser. Friends began purchasing my items almost immediately, but those funds wouldn't be available for a month. A paycheck was soon coming, but it held no extra funds to sign up. Friends began sending messages that money was on its way. A check was given at church with the notation it was for our trip. Another friend called her out-of-state family and friends and raised enough to get us signed up for the trip. Huge sigh of relief and thankful tears. The Lord was confirming again and again that I was following His desires for my summer.

 

As I was praising Him for provision and thanking Him for confirming His call on my plans, I was also asking Him to provide the remaining funds. Look what He had already done. How could I possibly doubt that He would provide? And then He showed up again!! He didn't have to. My heart was trying to trust. He had provided what we needed for the first step, I was sure He would continue...

 

I got a call from a friend. "Could you come by this afternoon, I need to talk to you." I went by for a talk and left with a sizable sum donated for our trip. The amount was large enough, it was difficult to accept. I arrived home and had a card in the mail from another friend. It included funds to MATCH the other huge gift of the day! Tears of gratitude flowed. I tried for some time to wrap my mind around what had just happened. Less than 2 weeks after I accepted the call to travel with Visiting Orphans this summer, the Lord, through His faithful followers, has provided over 1/4 of the funds needed for this trip. Awestruck wonder. My amazing God has called me and my daughter to travel to China to be His hands and feet, to show His love to some children living in an orphanage in China. I am humbled. I am amazed, in awe, and had a difficult time finding words to describe this experience. Then, he reminded me of this ---

 

Exodus 33:20-23 "But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

 

I didn't see His face, but His glory passed by. I suspect I will never be the same. ---Kim