Craig Clouston

 

Being Prepared

October 19

I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.

Isaiah 46:17

Jo had grown up on a farm. She toiled alongside her brothers in the fields, picking up rocks or bailing hay. Returning to the house in late afternoon she helped mom bake bread, cookies, and cupcakes. The Shipley house was full of love.

But one thing the Shipley's didn’t have was indoor conveniences. The outhouse was twenty-six steps out the back door. This wasn’t something Jo would come to appreciate until later in life.

Every day she pitched in to help around the farm to get things to market. To Jo it was just her way of life, even if physically demanding. But they had been happy days; swimming in the fishing hole on a hot summer day after chores were done, or ice-skating on the pond between the house and the hayfield when the ice was thick enough.

Never as a child could she have foreseen how God would use these experiences to win souls for His Kingdom.

A missionary/English teacher, Jo now lived in some of the most underdeveloped places in the world. Her labor-filled childhood, along with the family’s lack of indoor plumbing had prepared her for the conditions she ministered and taught in. Because of her hard working, simple lifestyle Jo was able to identify, and as she shared her childhood homelife she found herself widely accepted.

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The preparation Jo received at home on the farm made all the difference in her ability to relate and understand. She was grateful for having learned to live a simple life. Because of that she felt a closer bond, found herself able to share God's love easier, and as a result, led many people to the Lord.

God knows what He’s doing with us as well, although many times we whine about the task at hand because we fail to see the bigger picture. Yet everything we do today will prepare us for the work of tomorrow. Today’s text tells us that if we allow Him, God will order our steps. If we permit Him to prepare us we can then reach out to others with kinship and understanding.

Prayer

“Lord, teach me what I need to know so that I might serve You well in this life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”