When Things Look Impossible
…The LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River…”
(Joshua 1:2)
I tossed in my bed under a vault of mosquito netting. “Coming to Swaziland was a huge mistake,” I told myself for the umpteenth time. “What was I thinking? I’m too old to be sleeping on the ground in a different place night after night. Besides, some of the places are downright dangerous. Still, my children deserve to travel and see all they can of South Africa without me in the back seat putting the breaks on.”
Visiting Elizabeth who was teaching in Swaziland had seemed like such a good idea. I’d invited David, her brother, to come along with me. But after a week and a half of travel, I’d developed a ferocious migraine. I longed for the stability of knowing where I’d sleep the next night. “Just take me to your house,” I’d said to my daughter. “I’ll stay there for two weeks while you travel.”
“You can’t stay there–by yourself,” her eyes had mirrored concern. When I’d asked her why, she’d replied, “It’s just that you’ll be so– alone.”
When we arrived at my daughter’s school compound, I knew what she meant. It was the end of the world! When I saw her unlock her door with two keys, my anxiety level rose. Staying safe seemed to be the message we got everywhere– from the tour guide in Johannesburg to people we’d met all along the way. Even here in this remote place my daughter needed to double-lock her door. Increasingly I was beginning to feel uneasy. Hurriedly my daughter lit some candles and a kerosene lantern. Then fixed something to eat on a propane gas burner. No electricity. No telephone. I made a mental note. Not another white person for many, many miles. My daughter is right, I can’t stay here by myself.
But what was I to do? I couldn’t travel and I couldn’t stay. For a brief moment I entertained the thought of flying back to Canada but that would be too expensive. Tossing in my bed–Elizabeth had opted to sleep on the cement floor beside her brother–I told myself over and over, “I shouldn’t have come. This was all one big mistake.”
What do you do when you don’t know what to do? I talked to God. He caused me to remember Joshua when he stood on the brink of impossibility. Moses their beloved leader was dead. The flooded Jordan lay before them. Beyond that, Jericho, a fortified city, loomed. In the face of these enormous challenges God’s message was, “Now then move ahead with my plan.” In other words, don’t look at the problems, look to Me.
Like Joshua I found God’s Now Then plan. I reminded myself that there’s no place on earth where God is not present. Then I told my children not to be worried about me; I’d be perfectly safe by myself. (I didn’t mention, of course, that feeling safe was another matter). Those two weeks proved to be the highlight of my trip. No tourist ever had an experience as rich in cultural learning as I had. I visited with Swazis in their homes; their children and I wandered over aloe covered hillsides singing choruses; I took part in a pig roast…
Do you find yourself trapped in an impossible situation? Look for God’s Now Then plan. Despite your fear, move ahead. You’ll be amazed at the exciting new vistas that open up to you.
~My Father, give me the courage to follow you into unknown terrain.
Related Links:
Building Bridges…
http://www.retirementwithapurpose.com/buildingbridges.html
About the Author
This article was written by Helen Lescheid. You can read more about this author by clicking this link:
http://www.talk.thelife.com/helen-lescheid/
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