Listening for God’s Whisper (Part 1)
“It is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’”
1 Corinthians 2:9
In the Land of Sand
God was not finished providing miracles for the mission trip He had called me to do. We arrived in Las Vegas with just enough time to check in before I needed to go for my volunteer training. In my early conversations with the ministry’s leadership, I told everyone I would have my schnauzer with me. When I introduced myself, the first question everyone asked was: “Is Gus here?” They were so interested in a little dog who made the trek across the country with his mama.
Friday, January 20, the meetings launched, and I was slated to do computer work. A couple of nights later, I was no longer needed in that area. I was devastated to the point that I wallowed in self-pity prior to taking it to God. Finally, I whimpered, “I came all this way, and now I have nothing to do. What am I supposed to do now? Go home? Why?”
Before the sermon that night, a sisterly trio sang the hymn: “I Didn’t Bring You This Far to Leave You.” I knew that God used their music to speak to my heart. By the end of that meeting, I was volunteering at the Bible School, which kept me busy until the meetings concluded. I did not want to leave. I loved working in this kind of ministry, even though it was hard being away from home.
Less than a week after we arrived in Vegas, the heater motor that blew warmth into the car while we went through the bitter cold of Wyoming quit functioning. God knew this would happen, which is why He directed me to drive the northern route on our way west. If we had driven the northern route home, we would have frozen somewhere along the highway.
When it comes to travel, I have always been a planner. Early on, I contacted pastors in the Vegas area to see if a church member would provide lodging for the three of us—mom, Gus the schnauzer, and me. I did not receive any kind of response.
Since I did not receive an answer to my query, I struggled to find Vegas reservations. We left on our trip with nowhere to stay in Vegas. Every time we stopped, I searched the internet, but I could not find anything that fit our needs. The same places kept showing up, which did not seem to be viable options.
Just a few days away from arrival, I finally booked a place that seemed to be popping up the most. As it turned out, it was in a rough section of town. We were there for a week, and I knew we had to leave. I did not know about Deuteronomy 1:33 back then. In that verse, God told the Israelites that He would show them where to pitch their tents. My prayers were weak in this area. On a day off from the Bible school, the Yellow Pages (yes, they were still a thing in 2012) fell open to some housing that fit our needs perfectly.
I called them, and they were happy to meet with us. They informed me that an extra fee would be imposed for Gus. When we looked at the room, there was no carpet on the floor, so the pet fee was waived. Even though we had paid for a second week at the first location, we packed up and practically ran out of that wretched place.
The new site was near the Air Force base. One day, we were treated to a free Thunderbirds air show. We also became acquainted with some of our neighbors, and the kids loved Gus. There was another dog in the neighborhood that went ballistic every time it saw mine, but no attacks occurred.
Our time in Vegas was amazing. The weather there was beginning to warm, and the last day of the meetings, February 18, was warmer still. The parking lot was full, and I had difficulty finding a place to park. I needed a spot to keep Gus from getting overheated. Remembering God’s promise: “I didn’t bring you this far to leave you,” I found one place with a tiny bit of shade. I knew God had shielded it from other eyes just for me. That afternoon, around 300 people were baptized at a local swimming pool.
The Trek Home
On February 19, we packed up and were homeward-bound. Whenever we traveled together, Mom and I made it a practice to pray before we turned on the car engine. After our final prayer in the sand of Vegas, we drove only during the day since we had no heat. That day required much more prayer.
Our route took us through Jacob Lake, Arizona, near the entrance to the north rim of Grand Canyon. The elevation there is more than 8,200 feet. A blustery ice storm pummeled pellets onto our car, which had no defrost. Prayerfully, we proceeded, slowly and steadily. We made it safely to a lower elevation.
We continued winding through the somewhat snowy, sandy hills along Arizona Route 389. The scenic route was lovely along that two-lane road. Suddenly, around a curve, a mammoth white four-door pickup whipped into view. It did not even attempt to slow down, and I shuddered as it passed us. I felt a little like Jell-O jiggling. Holding my thumb and finger about an inch apart, I announced to Mom: “That pickup missed us only by about this much.”
As I glanced into the rearview mirror at the pickup, my eyes popped. The pickup straddled the center of the road. Except for prayer and our protecting angels, Mom, Gus, and I should have been splattered all over the northern Arizona desert.
The last few days on the trip home were fairly uneventful compared to what we had previously experienced. We stopped to visit a friend in Oklahoma for a few hours. While in Oklahoma, the temperatures reached 81 degrees. We would have liked to have had some air conditioning, but we were thankful for God’s protection.
God’s Preparation
When God called, He did not ask me to do something that He did not prepare me to do. Picking up and leaving on an adventure is part of my God-designed nature. On this trip, He revived in me a mission-minded passion that He had placed in my heart as a small child. Since my formative years, He outfitted me with a skill-set that He still uses to this day to spread the gospel message.
No matter your age, He has been equipping you for your whole life. He will not ask you to give special music if you are tone-deaf, but He might ask you to run the soundboard at a musical event.
So often, we fear the unknown and that God will ask us to do something we are shy to do. Philippians 1:6 tells us: “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” God may lead us outside our comfort levels, but He will finish whatever He ordained us to do for His purpose as long as we allow Him to do so.
Call to Action
“God has prepared for [you] who love Him” things you may have yet to see. Even so, God has a plan for your life. He needs you to do your part in populating the kingdom of heaven.
“As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. ALL His biddings are enablings.”1
Will you answer His bidding on your life? Will you go anywhere with Jesus?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
- Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Battle Creek, Michigan: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1900), 333, emphasis supplied.
