A few days ago I was doing errands after work and went to the drive through at the bank. My driver's side window had been acting a bit funny (only going up in sporadic intervals) so I had been cleverly avoiding putting it down until I could get it fixed.  In the midst of my tasks for the day I drove up to the drive through window, pressed my car window button and proceeded to make a deposit. I was listening to praise music and had a nice conversation with Sarah the bank teller before I realized that my window was completely down.

As I drove away from the bank my stomach sank. I tried to push the up button for the window...Nothing happened, it didn't move at all! I pulled further away into the parking lot and prayed as a legion of  dark clouds began moving swiftly across the sky like a stampede of wild horses. "Lord, please help me, I know that this is only a small thing but I need your help. It's supposed to rain and even if it wasn't someone could steal my car." I set my spirit to lean on God and to trust Him as a chaos of thoughts swirled in my mind. I wanted to try pushing the button again. My finger gingerly touched the button. I pushed it down. The window did not budge. There was no sign of it going up ever again. I took a deep breath and began to drive. The warm spring air brushed through my hair as the car pulled out onto the road. Again I prayed "Lord please help me, I know you can help me with this." I pushed down on the button and it moved! Just about an inch, but it was moving. I thanked God and continued driving towards my next destination. Fully aware that it wouldn't be safe to do any more errands, I headed towards my son's school to pick him up. I was about a half an hour early but I decided to keep driving around and trying the button. Occasionally the window would lurch and move up maybe half of an inch or so. Most attempts yielded no movement at all. And so I continued, slowly driving through neighborhoods praying, trusting, refusing to believe that God would leave me stranded, pushing on the window button, on and off, as I went.

Although the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result...I did not stop trying. Funny thing is that I had absolutely no control over the motor that moved my car window. There really was nothing that I could do but pray and push the button. Over a period of 25 minutes or so, the window made it's way all the way up. After painstaking movement, one inch at a time....up and then nothing...up and then nothing...it had closed the gap and met it's goal and my car was now safe from the impending rain.

"What in the world could this possibly have to do with my trip to Malawi?", you ask...Everything! You see I am fund raising over 4 thousand dollars to go away to share the good news of Jesus Christ. The money hasn't exactly been pouring in. As a matter of fact it has been coming in dribs and drabs...a check here then nothing...a check there then nothing...slowly working toward closing the gap and meeting my goal. I was able to receive encouragement form God from this experience. I have chosen to trust Him and just keep moving through the days as I drive through my days, praying and trusting and occasionally pushing the button ( reaching out to people for their support by posting this blog on facebook or having a conversation with friends making a donation).  Sometimes they will move and partner with me...sometimes nothing will happen. But from the perspective of the bigger picture...each donation is a move towards reaching my goal.

Funnier yet was that while I was driving, a friend of  mine called me to thank me for telling her about a book that she was now reading; "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction", by Eugene Peterson. She said that she had gained much wisdom from it and thanked me for suggesting it. I pulled into the parking lot of my son's school to wait for him and the light bulb went off!...She had called to thank me about suggesting" A LONG OBEDIENCE IN THE SAME DIRECTION"! Hahaha this was too funny...just in case I had missed the lesson God had given me, He had sent a friend to accentuate the experience with the perfect title.

Nothing happens per chance. God is in the midst of every moment. We choose whether to trust him, or to worry and waiver. God will always make a way. I am thankful for His reminder that when it is time to have all of my money in for the trip, I can count on God for the steady movement of people's hearts to support me to add up to exactly what I need to close the gap!

"Trust the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take." - Provers 3:5

I know in my heart that God called me to go on this mission trip. I am seeking His will and believing in His provision. I am satisfied to be still and let Him do the fighting for me.

"For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you." - 2Corinthians 9:10