It’s difficult to inspire support of administrative mission roles in the home country when there are so many inspiring roles to support overseas. But “home” staff roles are essential to equip and support missionaries who leave for overseas. One such “home” staff member at OMF experienced this firsthand:
While I prayed many times for God to provide, my funds were not growing fast enough. It seemed doubtful that I would have enough to work full-time the following year, so I began to consider my alternatives.
Would I need to work part-time? How would I make up for the lack of income? The loss of health insurance? Was this part of God’s plan? My future was a question mark. My faith was defined by the prayer “Lord I believe!…help my unbelief.”
THE CALL
And then I got a call from Mr. X during the week of Christmas. After a few quick pleasantries, Mr. X got to the point. “Grace, how much financial support do you need?”
I pushed aside rising hope that my desperate prayer for provision might be answered. “I need to raise an additional $18,000 in 2021 if I want to continue working full-time.”
It seemed to take no time or effort at all for Mr. X to respond, “Ok, I can cover that for you.” So while I continued to work hard to raise my support for the year, I also had this tremendous relief knowing that even if I didn’t, I would still have the provision I needed.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you,
so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times,
you may abound in every good work. -2 Corinthians 9:8
RESPONDING TO SUCH A GIFT
Of course I had heard of such generosity before. I had heard plenty of testimonies of God’s miraculous provision. Of course God provides. No surprise there. And yet, I was surprised.
I believed that God was capable of miraculous provision, but my inner battle was doubting whether He would miraculously provide for me.
MAKING SENSE OF GENEROSITY
When I became aware that Mr. X was committing to filling my full financial need, I struggled to think clearly. Mr. X’s response reminded me that the source of this gift was not of this world. “We want to bless others with what God has given us,” he explained.
In this experience of receiving, God helped me to see His presence in the act of giving.
NEXT STEPS
He has provided! But the work does not end here. The application remains:
First, to thank the Lord for His provision.
Second, to remember His provision, trusting he will continue to provide.
Third, to become an instrument of His provision for others, asking Him to help me be as generous to others as He has been to me.
(The story was shortened.)
Source: OMF
