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The God of Miracles and Rushed Visas

     I received my visa for Thailand today. I got it much faster than expected, to be honest I wasn't even sure that I sent off for it in time. I was told that on average it takes a few weeks to be processed but from the day my information landed in their mailbox to my visa landing in mine was exactly one week. Talk about a miracle.
     To be honest over the last few months I have completely lost my enthusiasm for this trip. I started thinking about everything that could go wrong. Everything from not raising enough money, to getting lost, to being in danger, etc. I started stressing over everything I still have to do in preparation. I started having to say goodbye to people. How am I going to go six months without seeing my family? How in the world am I going to survive overseas without my best friend? I know relatively no Thai and to make matters worse I can't find my phrase book that I purchased. I hate flying, what if I miss a flight or get lost in the airport. The world is crazy right now and dangerous, what if something happens to me? What if something happens to the people in my life and I can't get to them because I'm across the world? The children I love more than anything else will grow so much in six months and I will miss a few first words and first steps. Heck, most of them are at the age where they could forget me in a six month time period. I would be so far away from my church and my incredible church family. Heck, at this exact moment I am short $3,488 dollars for trip still. Basically, I let all of my concerns, hurts, fears, and stresses about this trip consume me. Instead of focusing on doing what I know I'm supposed to do. Instead of focusing on the incredible adventure and honor it is to serve God no matter what happens I allowed myself to be overwhelmed by all of the negative I could find in the situation.
    Then today my visa came in the mail. Let's be real, it came in an impossible short amount of time, I'm pretty sure I didn't even fill out my visa application correctly so it probably shouldn't have even come at all. Yet, it did. My visa coming so soon was the reminder that I needed. It was the reminder that this is the right thing to do. That yes, it is scary and new and uncomfortable. It will be lonely at times and maybe even dangerous. It's still what I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to go and face all of these things but I'm not going alone. God didn't ask me to do this so he could throw me in the middle of a foreign country on my own. He asked me to do this so he can use me and move through me. My father is going to be with me every step of the way. He's going to lead me through the entire thing, all the way from maneuvering the airport to ministry my Abba will be with me.
     It was also a reminder that I serve the God of the impossible. I serve the God of miracles. If he can deliver my visa in exactly one week he can provide the rest of my finances in time. Instead of stressing and worrying I need to pray and trust him to provide. He will give me what I need when I need it. The same goes for all of us. Whatever is going on right now remember that you serve the God of impossibly timed visa arrivals. You serve Jesus Christ. The God of miracles. I encourage you to worship him and spend time in his presence reminding yourself who he is and allowing him to work in your life.

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