OPEN TO HIS LEADING

When I was in the fourth grade, I remember sitting at my desk, staring at a picture in my Geography book.  The picture was of a woman wading through rice paddies in China.  I remember as if it were yesterday that I had my first urge to go to China.  I recall very vividly seeing the picture of this lady with a little pointed hat tied around her head trampling barefooted through the water in the rice fields.  And I clearly remember saying to myself, someday I want to go there. 

All my life I have had this incessant urge to travel around the world.  Even by the 7^th grade, I felt like God may be calling me into a career of travel.  At the same time, not only did I have this relentless urge to travel, but also intermittently was a calling or a feeling that I must get involved in some sort of ministry.  So in my usual way of trying to fix things and get everything all figured out, I began thinking I could go into the air force, fly the fastest jet ever made, and be a Chaplain all at the same time.  Pretty much all figured out, huh?   I figured that since I couldn’t afford to travel, that would be the means for me to see the world.  In the 8^th grade that urge became so great that I felt I should begin studying another language.  And by my freshman year Spanish was the only language course available to me.  I was not too happy about that, as I wanted to study Chinese, or Russian or some other language that I felt would be more useful to me.  Except for baseball and basketball, Spanish was about the only life function I enjoyed other than this strong desire to study the Bible. 

So during my freshman and sophomore years, I studied Spanish, and though not the smartest student in the class, I did quite well.  But it was about that time I felt God speak to me again. With this relentless desire still tugging at my heart to go around the world, I just couldn’t seem to figure things out.  I do remember a missionary coming through to visit our Church one day, and he spoke about how God calls people out to service around the world.  Of course I knew a little bit about missionaries, but I could not understand how God could be calling me, if I couldn’t afford to go.  But I just continued on, day be day trying to figure things out.  And then one day it all started coming to me, or at least so I thought 

As a junior, along with baseball and basketball, I joined the local civil air patrol.  I figured there I could learn to fly, and that would get me into the air force, and from there, I could build a career, which would take me into missions. 

But I later learned that my plans are not always God’s plans. I chose to go to a technical college and study communications through IBM data based machines.  What a disaster.  And then God spoke again and said, “it will work out for you if you will just do what I say and go where I lead.”  And when I finally said ok, He directed my path in other ways.  Theology and missions studies were His plan for my college career, after I had squandered away two years of my life trying to get into the air force the wrong way.  

Since this story is about being led by the Holy Spirit rather than trying to do things my way, one would think the lesson was learned, and I would follow in His footsteps letting Him direct my path.  I wish I could say that was the case.  But needless to say, He still had other ideas of teaching me how, when and where He wanted me to go. 

Roll forward a few years, and now I am now married and my wife and I think we are on the road to Africa.  But more surprises are still to come.  While preparing to go to Africa, God sends us to Brazil on an internship, only to show us our next mission would be in Spain, where we ended up living for almost 10 years.  Wow, His ways are certainly not my ways, but at least by now I had learned to accept his will in peace. I still haven’t gotten to China a t this young age of 65, however, I have learned some real lessons.  I have learned that God grants some people with cross cultural gifts and skills, and gives them the desire to be ready to go at any time to the place of His calling. The Apostle Paul was the best example of one who had learned this, and he listened to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

“Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.  When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.  So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.  During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him,  “come over to Macedonia and help us.”  After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the Gospel to them.   Acts 16:6-10

I don’t always understand all the things He places on my heart, but I can only take them one step at a time and go where he says go.  When I finally learned that lesson, a deep settled peace came over me.  And I find my self, saying to Him when He says go, I say,  “Lord, where will it be and for how long?”  Then I wait until He gives the marching orders.

Over these past several years, it has been Nicaragua.  My wife and I made three trips there last year, and now we are planning another trip in June for the duration of 5 months.  While we are there, we have been asked to do a project, which includes a trip into Costa Rica.  Then upon return, I have been invited for a whirlwind trip to India for another medical clinic with PICI.

So Lord, I humbly ask you.  ”Is China still in the picture?”  It really is ok if you have some other place in mind.  I think I have learned my lesson and am willing wait to hear you say where and when.  

Dock Caton 4/14/13