In honor of the anniversary of the publishing of my first book, I thought I would share a story from the mission field. There is a link on the side of this blog if you are interested in learning more about Turning Mountains into Molehills.
Several years back, my husband and I were visiting our orphanage in Kenya. It was just the two of us on this trip. This trip included many meetings for strategic planning purposes. It was the rainy season, and we had to visit a rural village to pick up some handmade baskets for a project. As the vehicle bounced down the narrow lane, the mud grew deeper and deeper. I started to get a little worried as we slowly bobbed along the rugged path.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.
Soon, the tires sunk in and just spun and spun. We were stuck in the middle of rural Kenya without the benefit of cell service. We got out of the truck and looked at our situation, and it appeared dire. I had no idea how we would get out of this one. My AAA service would not be able to help us here.
As we stood looking at the van, I noticed a man walking towards us. He stared at the wazungu (Swahili for white people) stuck in the mud. He left as quickly as he came, and my heart sank a little. The three of us sat down in a dry grassy patch to try to figure out what to do. I felt so alone and isolated at that moment even though the others were with me. With only three of us, we had no good options for splitting up to go get help since any plan would require someone to be alone in the bush. I prayed for God to rescue us.
Psalm 9:9-10 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble
After a while, I detected a rustling in the bushes down the lane. My heart pounded, and my palms grew damp as visions of roaming lions popped into my head. Then, the man I saw earlier stepped out. I concluded he was returning from his errand. But, then I noticed several other men standing behind him. I must admit I felt apprehensive as they approached us. As they gathered around us, I prayed for God’s protection.
1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
I noticed one man raised his hand, and I ducked for cover. Then, I realized he was motioning for one of us to get behind the wheel. The entire group started pushing the vehicle. Bill and I jumped in to help. I sank to my ankles in the muck. It took a while, but finally, our little truck was freed from its mud shackles. We cheered and hooted with our rescuers. And I offered thanks to God for sending these strangers to help.
How often is life like my story? We are driving along, and everything is going well. Suddenly, a mud puddle of sin entraps us, and we are stuck. We can feel alone and abandoned as we wrestle with the situation. At first, no one comes to help us. Then, we start to push and pull against the weight of the sin, but nothing moves. We feel unsure of what other evil is lurking in the bushes around us. The sins impede us from moving forward.
Just like in my story, God is only a prayer away. He can rescue us no matter our circumstances. He is able. Throughout the Bible we see example of God helping His people. David asks God to save him as seen in Psalm 71:4, “Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.” God promises to hear our prayers and answer them. Our job is just to reach out to Him in faith, and He will be there to help. He is only a breathe prayer away. Luke 1:37, “For nothing is impossible with God.”
God is only a breathe prayer away. Click To TweetBlessings,
Yvonne – #blogger, #speaker, and #author
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.”
100% of the proceeds from sales of my book, Turning Mountains Into Molehills, go to help the orphans at Orphan Relief Effort, Inc
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Such a great analogy, Yvonne. I so respect your mission work. Having been to Kenya, the imagery you painted brought back memories from my trip so long ago. Love this thought, “God is only a prayer away. He can rescue us no matter our circumstances. He is able.” Yes, Amen!
Thanks Karen. I hope some day you can visit Kenya again. It still holds a special place in my heart. God bless
Amen. God is always with us. Thank you for sharing your story.
Thanks Melissa. God is always faithful to help us. God bless
Yvonne, what a powerful and beautiful glimpse into your mission work and God’s ongoing work in each of our lives. I loved this! Congratulations on the one year anniversary of publishing your book. I’m thrilled for all God is doing through you! May He continue to anoint you, your writing and your ministry. Love you, my sister!
Thank you Melissa. God is so faithful even when we don’t feel like doing our part. Praise God that He still loves me. Love you my dear friend.
I remember a time when a man helped me put groceries in my trunk. But I was afraid. I told him I didn’t have any money. He just smiled. But I wonder if he never bothered to help anyone else with groceries. We don’t know who we should trust and who to fear. Glad you got the help from the Lord when you needed it.
So very true Nancy. It is hard for us to know. God by
So touching! How this resonates with me. Stuck in the mud of discouragement, Melinda? Cry out to God! He will send help! Caught in a trap made of my own selfishness? Cry aloud for him! Thank you for the mission story so full of vivid images to bring this to mind often!
Thanks Melinda and May the Lord refresh and bless you during the coming week.
Great story – one that has me smiling. He is our ever present help in times of trouble.
Happy Friday! We all could use a smile sometime. Thanks for visiting and God bless.
What an amazing experience and great analogy, Yvonne! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Jessica. God does provide amazing adventures. God bless