Everyone experiences those times in life where they’re simply in a rut. Things aren’t awful or wonderful, they just simply are.
But in those little moments, the ones that often go unnoticed, God gives us the encouragement we require. This is exactly what happened to me when I attended a conference where missionary Elisabeth Elliot was teaching, several years ago. The first thing to strike me was the impressiveness of her stature. She is quite a tall lady, while I’m somewhat of a shrimp. Immediately, that motherly feeling was exuded from her and she had my full attention.
If you’re familiar with the awesomeness of her testimony and her life, then you know how powerful hearing it in person was to me. Yes, she told us about how she and Jim(her first husband) served as missionaries and made their life while doing this assignment. Yes, she spoke about his tragic death and the journey of putting her life back together again.
Jim Elliot was tragically murdered in the jungles of Ecuador by a tribe of Waodani people, the very ones he was trying to reach as a missionary. A short while later, Elisabeth Elliot went back into the jungle with her young toddler daughter to the live with the very tribe that killed her husband in order to show them the love of God.
I was impressed with the progression of her own personal relationship with Christ. All of her strength came from Him! Elisabeth was able to forgive her husband’s killers because of Christ’s strength and His love.Those two power sources carried her to the next season of life, and allowed her to not give up on the greater good of missionary work!
Suddenly, my rut was over and I began to see what God could do in my life, as well if only I would stay close to Him. And if He is calling me to the mission field, I know that I too could tap into that same source of power. It’s little moments like those that don’t make our lives seem small, but more of a blank canvas upon which God can paint, anything He wishes, in His own way.
Parrot photo by Mr. Usaji
