In 10 short days in the Middle East, I was struck with God’s majesty and mystery. I was completely outside of my normal environment and completely in His—and that is exactly was what became most apparent to me overseas. He is entirely different than me, and that’s a good thing because …
God works outside of my performance.
He heard my every prayer and released me from the notion that He needs my busy hands and shuffling feet to accomplish His will. Instead of relying on my inclination to perform, I found that His purposes for me in the field came to fruition through patience and ceaseless prayer. He didn’t need to me perform with the right words and questions in spiritual conversations.
I operate in a hurry, wanting a quick change when it comes to salvation. But God was never rushed on our trip. He moved at the pace of His own metronome instead of the racing rhythms in my head as He prompted me to share the good news.
God works outside of my culture.
He isn’t concerned with the clash of Western and Eastern culture because they’re trivial to Him. He is not threatened by my discomfort or any disparity between people groups. He has the power to overcome disunity and differences. He delights in breaking barriers of language and cultural traditions so that his adopted sons and daughters from different backgrounds can come before Him as one to glorify Him.
In seeing God work in this way, I learned that His goodness and love is operates independent of my limitations. He doesn’t need me to fully understand my environment to draw people into a relationship.
God works outside of my control.
In short, God called me on a short-term mission trip to the Middle East so that I could learn that when God says He is sovereign, I am no one to question Him. What He says goes, and I have no control of the outcome.
Truthfully, there is relief for me in that. In knowing that I have nothing to add on to the gospel, as I don’t even hold the key to understanding it in full. The way I saw His love compel the hearts of this foreign nation as well as my own, led me into a posture of humility. I was reminded again that though I will never completely comprehend the love of God, I can respond to Him with unwavering trust and faith.
He is worthy of nothing less.