This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)
Youngest son left for a mission trip to Brazil over a week ago. Though the original information said they would not take anyone under eighteen, youngest son’s size and maturity impressed the group leaders enough that they bent the rules for him. That coupled with his outdoor training, big knife and willingness to kill snakes and spiders. The ladies all voted him onto the team as did a few of the men. They flew from Miami into Manaus, Brazil where they boarded a boat to take them sixteen hours up the Amazon River to three small villages where they are conducting Bible classes for children and adults. Youngest son is in charge of recreation and took a bag of soccer balls and hackey sacks (those little knit balls that you do soccer tricks with). We made him promise that he would not try to swim across the Amazon as so many people warned against doing that for fear of the parasites he might encounter. Not to mention snakes, crocodiles and man eating fish. The last time we talked to him was just as he boarded the plane for Manaus. I thought that there would be an opportunity for another call once the plane landed and before they got on the boat, but no call came. Perhaps, because it was the middle of the night, and they did not want to bother me. Or maybe, finding a phone to use was difficult. At any rate, as of this posting, it has been more than eight days, one hundred and ninety two hours, since I talked to my child who is living in the rain forest so far from civilization. I complained to a friend that I had not gotten a phone call from Brazil, and she said, “You don’t want a phone call from Brazil.” No, I guess I don’t. No news is good news in this case. Most of the time, I haven’t worried. He is very mature and capable. If anything, he will be the one getting the rest of the group out of a sticky situation. In fact, it is not the big things I worry about, but the little ones. Is he taking his malaria pills? Is he wearing sunscreen and bug spray? Is he avoiding ice and fresh foods rinsed in water that might be contaminated? Is he getting enough to eat? I would so love a phone call just to know the answers to those routine questions. Sometimes, our relationship with God is like that as well. We know to go to him with the big issues of life. When we get into trouble, He is the first one we call upon. But, what about in the daily grind? Do we ask for His help there? Know that God cares about you and the little everyday details as well. Don’t wait for a crisis to have a conversation with Him. You don’t need a phone to reach God. Just speak. He’s listening. All the time.
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