Like I said, I am on a road trip from Asheville to Boston to meet with missionaries, friends, and my ministry partner, Allegra. Checking in with friends has been lots of fun, but also important, since they are the core of my prayer team. Today part three:
Tuesday
I was set to meet with Allegra. We had missed each other due to lack of internet, changed phones and missing numbers, and other complications. However, we finally did get to meet. Since Allegra teaches school during the daytime, she wouldn’t be able to meet me until after school was out.
That was wonderful because it meant that I would have the morning free for my online Hebrew class. I had wondered if I would have Tuesday morning free or not. The lesson went very well, despite being in a different place than my room at Mom’s apartment.
Allegra had given me an address to meet her that evening in Cambridge. The GPS on my phone led me through a lot of construction and highway detours. She had warned me that parking could be an issue, so I prayed for a parking place.
OK, it may seem frivolous to pray for a parking place. Some people only ever talk to God when they need something, so they shouldn’t be surprised if He doesn’t put the whole universe on hold to help them find parking. But I’m both an employee and a daughter. We talk all the time. I don’t always pray for a parking place, but simply believe that I will find one when I need one. It’s all part of my transportation anointing. Yes, I have a transportation anointing. I always get to the bus/tram/train stop just in time (without rushing). The times that I do have to wait, it’s always for a good reason (someone there I need to share Jesus with, need to go back home and get something I had forgotten, or simply a chance to quiet myself). So because I always expect to find a parking place, I always do. But this time I thought I probably would need some extra help, so I prayed. As I prayed, I saw a vision in my mind’s eye of a car pulling out of a parking place just in front of me.
When the GPS announced that my destination was a tenth of a mile away, I started looking, and immediately I found a great parking spot right on the street. The sign said that there was two hour parking from 8AM to 8PM. That was perfect! And just as I shut off the engine, the car parked in front of mine pulled out of its parking spot. Confirmation!
As I walked to the address Allegra had given me, I noticed that starting in the very next block, the parking was exclusively for residents with permits—even on the side streets. I sent up another praise and thank You to God for helping me with a parking place. Meanwhile, Allegra had texted me that she was running late, but that I should go on in. So I rang the bell and a nice young man came down the stairs and let me in. He opened the door to the Justice House of Prayer (JHOP), turned on lights for me, and then excused himself, stating that he has a deadline, and dashed back up the stairs. When Allegra arrived a few minutes later, she said that he’s a web designer in very high demand, and always under a deadline.
We decided to have our mini-corporate meeting over dinner, so we walked a few blocks, turned a few corners, and found the place that she had had in mind. It was a vegetarian/vegan restaurant, with all the colorful people those places draw. The food was very good. Allegra had a veggie burger on a gluten-free bun, while I had a meatless shepherd’s pie. I suspect that the vegetarian diet may have something to do with the fact that Allegra appears to have lost about twenty pounds.
With a smile, Allegra told me about her plan to lead a mission trip for next summer (2016). She is planning a month in Europe: two weeks in Italy with an evangelistic ministry and two in Albania with a worship music ministry. Of course, we also got caught up on each other’s lives.
I love that my ministry partners are all dear friends, women of faith, with whom I can share my life and ministry. With all that we have in common, they are each very different from the other, which keeps it interesting and fun. Though Allegra is the youngest of the partners in our ministry (by about thirty years), she has wisdom and maturity beyond her years. At the same time, her youth brings with it skills, energy, and enthusiasm that make her a valuable asset.
After dinner we returned to JHOP and Allegra got ready to lead the evening’s worship. One by one others arrived, including Allegra’s co-host for the radio show (Good Word, aired live every Saturday at 3-5PM EST. Check it out!). Allegra led us in worship for about twenty minutes. Then she introduced me, and I spoke briefly about Europe as a mission field.
Honestly, I don’t think my talk went over very well. It seemed like most of them were disappointed to have the worship time interrupted. But that’s OK. I had an early drive the next morning, and couldn’t wait until later in the evening. I should have spent more time in prayer before speaking, but had taken my Hebrew lesson instead.
But who knows? Perhaps one of those young people listening heard just what they needed to hear in order to step out of their comfort zone and into ministry in Europe (or some other mission field). This is another thing that I love about what I do, because even if I wasn’t at my best, talking about the ministry, it’s not about me or how eloquently I speak. Even if I stumble and bumble, and ungracefully flail my way through a presentation before an audience that doesn’t really want to listen to what I have to say. It only takes one that has been touched by the same God who touched me. It’s not about me and my ability, but it is all about God and His ability to touch and change lives. He can do it even when I’m not at my best.
Tomorrow, my return trip home via those wonderful friends in New Jersey. God is good!
Walking By Faith in Europe 