After the Sacred Gathering Pat and I met to talk about what God had revealed to us during the time of fasting and praying. I shared with Pat how God had laid the country of Belgium on my heart during the previous summer and how He had intensified that desire during the Sacred Gathering. For Pat and myself there were more unanswered questions than answered ones. I knew that God was not calling me to another church, I was and still am so pumped about what God is doing at LifePoint. But, I didn’t understand why he would continue to place a small West European country on my heart that I had never visited.
Pat asked me if I had shared with Amy what God was doing in my life. I told him that I had not shared with anyone what I had been walking through over the past eight (8) months. He suggested to me that it might be the right time to let her in on what God was doing. He also asked me what my next step was in this process and what I felt I needed to do. I shared with him that I was going to be faithful to keep walking , listening, journaling and reading the Word until I had a clear direction. I also thought I would begin looking for a “pocket of Belgian people” and those who would have a heart for Belgians in the Nashville area. Each time the Lord has called us (LifePoint) to serve in a particular area of the world He has placed a remnant of that group around us to minister to here in Middle TN.
Pat told me that in scripture each time the Lord revealed His work/will/plan to an individual it wasn’t just meant for that particular person alone. The message was to an individual, but for the greater body of people. When God would speak to a prophet it was so the prophet could tell the people. When God spoke to Jonah it was so Jonah could go to Nineveh and tell God’s message to the people. Pat went on to explain since I was a leader at LifePoint God had something for LifePoint in this journey and we would walk it together.
I spoke with Amy later that evening about what I was feeling and experiencing. When I first told her that God had been really impressing the country of Belgium on my heart for the last several months and it was only getting stronger she said, “You mean, like waffles, that kind of Belgium?” I said “Yes.” We talked for a while about how everything had transpired and what the Lord might be doing in our lives and in the life of the church. Amy said we should just keep praying, journaling and talking to each other about what God revealed to us. She reassured me that if God was leading in a specific direction He would make it clear in due time. It was such a relief to have let Amy in on what I felt God was doing and saying. It was also a relief to have a wife that is open to the movement of the Spirit that is completely different than what He has us doing at the moment.
Each of us committed to listen, pray, and keep our eyes open to what God was doing. We also said we would keep this personal between ourselves so we could discern the Lord’s voice and not confuse things with someone else.
The next week Amy came home from her work and told me about a lunchtime conversation she had with a teacher friend. The lady relayed to Amy how the previous evening at her church a couple had given their testimony to the church of how God had been moving in their family for several years to move to the mission field. They believed God would place them somewhere in Africa because of their love for the continent. But, God had shown them clearly they were to be in Belgium and that they were leaving in a few weeks for their preparation training. We both felt that God was confirming His plans.
Later that week I made contact with the husband and set up a lunch meeting to discuss what God was doing in their life and to talk about what God had been doing in the life of our church. We committed to pray for each other and to keep in contact as they moved forward with their preparation training. Upon completion of their eight (8) week training our families had dinner together and talked further about what they had learned and how God was moving in the country of Belgium. As they were leaving our home after dinner I commented to them that we would see them in the Spring ’09. I told them that we would travel Belgium to see them and that our church would seek out ways that God would use us in Belgium.
Continued Later…
