This Is How I Show My Love

About 8 years ago....our lives took a dramatic change and turn, it happened when our prayers began to change.  

We learned thru the testimony of a man the power in changing our prayers from

"Lord help me to do..........." 

to

"Lord, please allow me to be a part of something you are doing."

It came out of a desperate heart of everything we tried to do seemed to go sideways and we just wanted to be a part of something that would be 

AWESOME.

Well...here is the good news!!!! 

 God is AWESOME and He is always at work.

Soooooo when we pray

THAT PRAYER

it is answered.

Matthew 6:10 (ESV)

10 

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.

The thing we have continued to be reminded of in the process is when it's His plan and His work,

we don't get to call the shots. 

 This is such a relief and such a battle.

  I continue to want to give God guidelines of ideas and timelines. 

 He is patient with me, He is not changed by me, I am changed by HIM.

2 years ago, we said YES to one of those God opportunities.

Our friend Tucker, from CSI Ministries in Uganda, Africa

talked about needing to fill a container of supplies to help with their ministry in Uganda.

We were like; hey we have room to host a container.

We had in our minds that it would be a quick thing, fill it up and ship it out. 

One of the things that was big on Tucker's mind that needed to go in that container was a tractor.

The ministry owns a farm, and a tractor would make a world of difference in what they can accomplish on the farm.

There were several of us praying for a tractor and looking for a killer deal on a used tractor that we could ship in that container.

As the container got fuller and fuller I kept thinking,

 "Oh, Lord how are you going to get a tractor in there?"

Well to shorten a really cool story....God provided for a brand new tractor and it didn't have to be shipped, it was bought in Uganda.

I love that God always does far more than we can ever think or pray for.  

When Jesus turned water into wine, his first miracle, he made it the best wine and when he provides for a ministry farm he provides the best tractor.

The other thing that the container was meant to supply was medical equipment.

A few odds and ends of medical equipment were gathered up and  put into the container, but not nearly what would be needed to efficiently supply a whole clinic.

Sooooo, as God would have it an entire container that is filled with awesome medical equipment that is supplied by hospitals in the USA and put together by a non profit organization that does this professionally was discovered.

  CSI applied for a medical container from the organization and the application was approved and the money was provided for the shipping of the container and it was done.

 God supplied and provided and delivered the best medical equipment.

The other need that could fill that container and bless the CSI ministry is any and all school supplies.

CSI has 5 schools and they can always always always use every kind of school supply that they can get their hands on.

As God would so graciously have it.... a whole bunch of computers were donated from a school in our area right off the bat, when the container was delivered 2 years ago.

  Every time I would get bummed about what was going into the container at our house I would go back to those computers and think....well, God gave them computers at least, and that is huge, but there was some stuff being dropped off that seemed pretty random or junkie.

 I wanted that container to be filled with ONLY the best, first fruits kinda stuff.

God asks for our first and our best, not our left over junk, so if we are truly giving it to the Lord, it should only be the best.

Here's what God did..... 

Carol, who is a faithful servant to the Lord and has served CSI ministry in countless ways....she began to look for school equipment to fill the container since they already had a

 brand new tractor

 and 

 a container LOADED with medical equipment

 on sight in Uganda.

Carol found school desks, and chairs, and tables that were for sale because a couple of the schools in our area closed down,

 so of course it's for a crazy low low low price and it's awesome stuff and it was delivered

 RIGHT TO OUR HOUSE!

As all the furniture was being delivered, it became crystal clear that it would never all fit in one container.

You can't put God in a box or limit His blessings to one container.

Another container was delivered within a few days and 

Tucker and Charlie and an amazing work crew (our kids)

took a Saturday and worked their heads off until everything was placed perfectly in the containers. 

 As we were all getting ready to tackle the container and get it all packed and loaded and knowing it was going to be a very long day, I asked Tucker if he ever gets tired.  He has a lot going on, and he has to sacrifice a lot of time with his family in all his travels.  His response was just this simple,

"This is how I show my love for Jesus."

He didn't say he was burdened or obeying or anything big and bold, just a humble admission of wanting to express His love for Jesus.

I was so proud of our kids, they worked hard and long hours, and they didn't get one worldly thing as payment, not even lunch!  

But they were blessed and learned values beyond anything the world can offer, they got to be a part of something that only God could have put together.

 We can't supply lessons or payment THAT good on our best parenting day.

Our God is a good good Father!

2 Corinthians 9:10-11English Standard Version (ESV)

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.