More thoughts from Yancey

It's been a challenging couple of weeks for me. Between fundraising, negotiations with credit unions, landlords, attorneys... I'm feeling kind of spent. There are some amazing things going on right now. For the first time I can honestly say the credit union will open this summer. But - there are some big challenges that are testing my faith and perseverance. I'm sad to say - but my first instinct is not to pray but to do. There are many things about our organization that are completely out of my hands - all I can do is be diligent, keep my eyes on the goal and seek God. Sounds simple, right?

I've been reading Yancey's book on prayer on and off. Yesterday I came across this section that quotes the director of OMF, formally China Inland Mission started by Hudson Taylor. These words challenged me:

"...Yet sometimes we hear of great defeats, of stubborn opposition, of missionaries persecuted and even martyred (we lost seventy-nine missionaries and children in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900). We continue to pray, and let god sort it all out. We cannot force our will on others, just as we cannot force people to support our work financially, or to volunteer with our mission - nor would we want to . We present our requests and pray, as the Heidelberg Catechism puts it, to be patient in adversity and thankful in prosperity."