There once was a ticket, most precious to it’s missionary owners—just a few pieces of paper bound together as a little book. The couple was leaving their field of labor and the ticket included an irreplaceable side trip ticket side-trip to Rome. The missionaries hid them in the locked closet up under the shelf paper.
The weeks of packing finally ended, the many good-byes were said. The house was empty, except for the furniture that remained and the four loaded suitcases. That morning as the couple left the home for last minute errands, the locked closet was emptied and left open for the housekeeper Mi Betty, to clean. Dear Mi Betty, what a part of the family she had become—a charming, ample woman with a heart that loved people and took seriously her role of making the missionaries’ lives comfortable.
That night, when the couple returned home late, the house was shining, and everything was in order. They once again breathed blessings upon their dear household help. Then, to their dismay, they remembered their tickets. They were gone! Betty had removed the shelf paper, and most likely gathered the tickets with it and sent it out to be burned.
It was dark and late, but anxiously they dashed out to the servant’s quarters in the back. No, the gardener had not yet burned anything, so they picked through the rubbish. Nothing. Mi Betty woke from all the stir and came to her door. Oh, yes, she did recall the cute little booklets. She had given them to her daughter for the grandchildren to play with. The daughter lived in a village several miles away.
The next morning, almost before daylight, the missionaries borrowed a little car and took Betty to the village, and sure enough, the tickets, damp, and crumpled were retrieved. Those of you who have heard this story before know I am telling our own story.
Every time I recall it, and the many other times God has marvelously intervened in our lives, my faith in the supernatural is reinforced. There are forces all around us, good angels waiting to help, eager to be of service, and evil angels, eager to trap us either by rewarding evil behavior and lack of trust with temporal blessings, or by pushing us to blame God for unfortunate circumstances. God, in His love, allows us freedom to choose, but gently cares for us and gently seeks to woo us back with tender yearnings.
God, once given our will, will take control and plant us safely in His camp! From that perspective we pray over every challenge and problem, and praise God for every indication of His care. As the we prayed during that night, and praised God when the tickets were retrieved, we declared our loyalty, and enabled God to work. The peace we had as we waited for God to work became a testimony to the onlooking Universe of our trust.
The weeks of packing finally ended, the many good-byes were said. The house was empty, except for the furniture that remained and the four loaded suitcases. That morning as the couple left the home for last minute errands, the locked closet was emptied and left open for the housekeeper Mi Betty, to clean. Dear Mi Betty, what a part of the family she had become—a charming, ample woman with a heart that loved people and took seriously her role of making the missionaries’ lives comfortable.
That night, when the couple returned home late, the house was shining, and everything was in order. They once again breathed blessings upon their dear household help. Then, to their dismay, they remembered their tickets. They were gone! Betty had removed the shelf paper, and most likely gathered the tickets with it and sent it out to be burned.
It was dark and late, but anxiously they dashed out to the servant’s quarters in the back. No, the gardener had not yet burned anything, so they picked through the rubbish. Nothing. Mi Betty woke from all the stir and came to her door. Oh, yes, she did recall the cute little booklets. She had given them to her daughter for the grandchildren to play with. The daughter lived in a village several miles away.
The next morning, almost before daylight, the missionaries borrowed a little car and took Betty to the village, and sure enough, the tickets, damp, and crumpled were retrieved. Those of you who have heard this story before know I am telling our own story.
Every time I recall it, and the many other times God has marvelously intervened in our lives, my faith in the supernatural is reinforced. There are forces all around us, good angels waiting to help, eager to be of service, and evil angels, eager to trap us either by rewarding evil behavior and lack of trust with temporal blessings, or by pushing us to blame God for unfortunate circumstances. God, in His love, allows us freedom to choose, but gently cares for us and gently seeks to woo us back with tender yearnings.
God, once given our will, will take control and plant us safely in His camp! From that perspective we pray over every challenge and problem, and praise God for every indication of His care. As the we prayed during that night, and praised God when the tickets were retrieved, we declared our loyalty, and enabled God to work. The peace we had as we waited for God to work became a testimony to the onlooking Universe of our trust.
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