Today’s blog by Yvonne

I made my reservations in May for my next mission trip in October. I confirmed all the hotel and transportation plans. Two days before our scheduled departure, an email for the airlines changed everything. A typhoon barreled toward Tokyo, our layover point for this trip. We needed to re-route the trip.

Hours on the phone with the airlines caused more problems than they answered. No good options for alternative routes existed, and the changes would cost us thousands of dollars. The original tickets only cost us $850.00 each, and we could not afford the outrageous additional fees. I felt myself losing hope. After all these years of missionary work, why can’t the pathway be an easy one?

Sometimes, I find myself expecting everything in my life to be smooth sailing because I am a child of God. Do you ever feel that way? I fall into the misconception that following Christ means my life will be comfortable, without problems. When the unexpected happens, I question myself looking for a reason for the roadblock. Did I hear God correctly? Did I do something wrong? Is God punishing me?

God’s way is not and will never be easy. I remind myself often of this truth. If following Christ made my life simple and without any problems, then everyone would follow Him. The path I follow is narrow, twisted, bumpy and sometimes downright uncomfortable. The Bible warns us to expect difficulties in our walk. It takes faith to keep going when the way gets tough.

The good news is that Christ’s path also contains many rewards for those who keep pushing forward in faith. After praying about changing my tickets, I found another airline that offered a different route but at the same price as my first tickets. I canceled the original tickets and purchased the new ones. I was amazed at how God provided airline tickets at the same cost just a few days before departure.

God always provides for His children but not always in the way we think He should. Was God testing my faith by changing the route of our trip? Or was God protecting us from something He saw in our journey? I may never know the reason for the change, but I trust God’s purpose in it. When the road gets difficult, put your trust in God and persevere. He will get you through it. And maybe someday, all of us will understand the purpose behind our struggles.

Blessing,
Yvonne, author and blogger.

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”