Today is not the right day to write and for once I am going to be obedient!
With love from Romania x
Today I was reminded by biblegateway.com how I managed to end up in Romania doing what I’m doing.
Verse of the Day
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. – Matthew 6:33 NIV
I ‘became’ a Christian in 1998, two years later I found myself ditching the very senior position I held within a very high profiled company and moving out to Romania to work with orphaned and abandoned children. Now at that time I believed wholeheartedly that was what I was being led by God to do (and I still believe so), but I will send out a red flag to anyone getting a ‘go’ on a mission message. – Make sure that not only you are 100% committed, but you have committed support with you and behind you!
I believe that I was committed 100%. And whilst there are and have been many testing times, thank the Lord that I am still here doing the ‘job’ in 2013. The other two factors that I really, really do recommend to you, I did not have. Yes, I knew I had God with me 24/7 and a wonderful church back in the UK who I know must have been praying very hard for me, but that was that. Now, I know that some of you may be saying “You had God, surely He was enough”. But for me, a relatively new Christian, bubbling with enthusiasm, I tried my best. Therein lies the problem. I was so enthusiastic to do a good job for God, I forgot to let Him show me how He wanted me to do it!
The first month – November – was perfect. A lovely Christian lady found herself ‘homeless’ as soon as I arrived and I believe that on this occasion I listened and she moved in with me. There I had it, my ‘in country’ support without even realising that she was sent to me. She knew no English and my two words of Romanian didn’t prove to be an awful lot of use on an ongoing basis, but we managed, we sat on the steps and translated through the bible, it was awesome! My Romanian improved just as much as it needed to and I had no other option than to let the Lord show the way.
December arrived and the orphanage director agreed that Alexandra* could also stay with us for the weekend, which was great fun for all of us and turned into a regular weekend / holiday time treat. We went on trips, played in the snow, went to the cinema, prayed together, cooked together, sang together and danced too; sometimes all at the same time.
We had frozen water pipes, but thanked the Lord that we had a well in the garden. We had frozen drainage and again praised Him because we had an outdoor loo! We really were happy in the Spirit. Then in February I had a telephone call from my parents telling me that my sister had been taken ill on holiday – meningitis! How did I respond to this news? The only way I knew, by shouting and ranting at the One in charge whilst throwing logs at the metal garage door! Out of the darkness in a short spell of silence I heard a still calm voice, once again saying “Go”.
“…….and all these things will be given to you as well”.
Was this really what He meant? Then I recalled:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. – Jeremiah 29:11
This was His promise, His plans, not mine, not the promises of this world, but His. From that day until this, I claim that promise, now all I need[ed] to do was [is] follow His plans for me.
…to be continued with love from Romania x