Miracles in the mess
In 1986 my Colorado-native parents sold everything they owned and moved our family to Kingston, Jamaica. I was 18 months old and my sister was just over three years old. We went as Christian missionaries to start a Bible College. My parents had no intention of ever moving back to the United States. But less than two years later we left Jamaica never to return again. Humiliated, dirt poor, and asking God, “why?” Our sending church in Colorado had cut us off without any warning. No more financial support. We were abandoned in a third world country by our Church.
That Church body failed us. Or more accurately, the leaders of that Church did. Can anyone relate? Recently friends of mine that were serving in ministry shared their painful story of getting shunned and pushed off staff when they raised some concerns to the board of Elders. Stories like Mars Hill are all-to-common.
Yet, I have personally seen God’s providence. Miracles I can’t explain. God’s invisible hand. While in Jamaica, God did some pretty radical things.
“He will be deformed and speak with a lisp”
Within three months of moving to Kingston, I fell and cut my lip. As an active almost two year old would do, I was playing with my stroller and tripped, slicing my lip open down to my chin. My parents, new to the country and without a car, walked about a mile to get to the main road where we could catch a taxi cab to the hospital.
When we arrived in the emergency room, we were told there was no surgeon there to sew me up, and certainly no plastic surgeon. Just before we were about to leave, a young surgeon who was supposed to be off that day happened to walk in the door. The nurse grabbed him and said “he will treat your son.” The doctor nervously agreed to sew me up. My parents say he was sweating bullets and his hand was shaking the whole time. Miraculously, I stayed incredibly still.
When the doctor finished with the procedure, we were told I’d have a disfigured face and talk with a lisp. But that never happened. I healed fine, and only have a small cosmetic scar as evidence of that fall.
Miracle on 34th street in Kingston, Jamaica
To my mom’s chagrin, my dad had invited people over to our house for a Christmas dinner even though we had no furniture. She prayed for a provision. When my mom woke up on the morning of Christmas Eve, she had accepted that her Christmas guests would have to be comfortable on the floor.
But later that day, a truck backed up to our house and my parents' landlord got out. He said they had sold another property and didn't have anywhere to put the furniture and asked if we wanted it. Speechless, my mom nodded her head yes and opened the door further for them to bring the items in.
Marshmallows and Raisin Bran
Soon after returning to the United States, my dad was out looking for work, and my mom took me and my sister to the grocery store with our last $10 to buy food for dinner. Doing what kids do, we kept grabbing things off the shelf and asking if we could have them. Two of those items were a bag of marshmallows and Raisin Bran cereal.
My mom bought ham and beans.
While at the store, someone recognized us and perceived we were in need. At home later that night, there was a knock on the door. Standing in front of my mom was that same lady that we saw earlier and lined up behind her and around the block were dozens of people holding grocery bags of food. Within those bags were both marshmallows and Raisin Bran. Not only did we have plenty of food now, we had the exact items our little hearts had desired (Matthew 6:8).
Don’t neglect the gathering together
Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another... - Hebrews 10:25
Today, I am an active member of my local Church. How? Why? I could have easily justified walking away from the Church. I know the Church is composed of people and people are flawed. People will let you down, God never will. And it’s important to note, the Church leaders stopped our funding, but it was a member of the Church that rallied others in the congregation to bring us bags of groceries - that’s God’s heart for his church in action right there.
God can miraculously guide a surgeon’s hand, furnish a house on Christmas Eve, and stock a pantry with marshmallows and Raisin Bran. Put your faith in Him, and watch Him deliver miracles in your mess.