Unlike many other missionaries who received their call to missions in childhood, I've never felt called to another country, although I've always had an interest in other cultures. I envisioned my role as someone who supported missions through prayer and finances.
Even though I had not previously experienced a calling from God to a particular ministry, I've had many people prophesy over my life. The prophecies occurred intermittently over a span of 27 years, carried the same theme and were mostly from people who have never met me before. One of the most extraordinary prophecies took place one year ago today when I met a wonderful and powerful woman of God (identified by the initials VM). Within 20 minutes of our meeting for the first time, our conversation went like this:
VM: Are you called to missions?
CM: No.
VM: Are you sure?
CM: Yes ma'am, I'm sure. My role is to support missions through prayer and finances.
VM: Well, would you go, if God called you?
CM: Yes, IF God called me, which He hasn't.
VM: Would you go to Asia if God called you?
CM: Definitely NOT Asia, because my heartbeat is for Africa.
VM: You're not willing to go to Asia?
CM: IF God called me to Asia, which He hasn't, then yes I would go.
VM: You're willing to go. That's good enough.
Believe me, I was puzzled by this brief interlude which at the time seemed out of sync with the overall conversation we had that day. That is, until I felt the call to India. Dummy me, not knowing my world geography very well, did not know India was in Asia. Imagine my surprise when I got up to speed on my world geography! Immediately, my mind went back to the conversation I had with VM. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I believe I did both. To think that a year ago, God knew His plans for me and revealed it to this precious woman of God.
Jesus said in John 14:2-3, "...I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also." So many times in the Word of God, we view things as futuristic instead of applying it to the here and now. This portion of scripture is not only referring to the second coming of Jesus Christ, but it also refers to the spiritual places He has prepared for us today. Before we ever arrive at a particular place in our walk with God, He has already prepared it for us. Anything and everything we will need has already been provided for us. He is simply waiting in that place for us to abide with Him there.
Before I even knew India was located in Asia, God had already prepared this special place for me. I will simply abide with Him.
Even though I had not previously experienced a calling from God to a particular ministry, I've had many people prophesy over my life. The prophecies occurred intermittently over a span of 27 years, carried the same theme and were mostly from people who have never met me before. One of the most extraordinary prophecies took place one year ago today when I met a wonderful and powerful woman of God (identified by the initials VM). Within 20 minutes of our meeting for the first time, our conversation went like this:
VM: Are you called to missions?
CM: No.
VM: Are you sure?
CM: Yes ma'am, I'm sure. My role is to support missions through prayer and finances.
VM: Well, would you go, if God called you?
CM: Yes, IF God called me, which He hasn't.
VM: Would you go to Asia if God called you?
CM: Definitely NOT Asia, because my heartbeat is for Africa.
VM: You're not willing to go to Asia?
CM: IF God called me to Asia, which He hasn't, then yes I would go.
VM: You're willing to go. That's good enough.
Believe me, I was puzzled by this brief interlude which at the time seemed out of sync with the overall conversation we had that day. That is, until I felt the call to India. Dummy me, not knowing my world geography very well, did not know India was in Asia. Imagine my surprise when I got up to speed on my world geography! Immediately, my mind went back to the conversation I had with VM. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I believe I did both. To think that a year ago, God knew His plans for me and revealed it to this precious woman of God.
Jesus said in John 14:2-3, "...I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also." So many times in the Word of God, we view things as futuristic instead of applying it to the here and now. This portion of scripture is not only referring to the second coming of Jesus Christ, but it also refers to the spiritual places He has prepared for us today. Before we ever arrive at a particular place in our walk with God, He has already prepared it for us. Anything and everything we will need has already been provided for us. He is simply waiting in that place for us to abide with Him there.
Before I even knew India was located in Asia, God had already prepared this special place for me. I will simply abide with Him.
