What happens when God gives you a vision?

If we had said "no", this would not be our view.

On July 6^th, 2005 our family was volunteering with an organization called Dream for Africa that served in Swaziland and South Africa. I distinctly recall being at a hotel in White River, South Africa, when a man from Dream for Africa offered Ian and I both paying jobs, Ian in Operations and me in Marketing.   At the time we thought the idea was absurd, but thankfully we had matured enough in our faith to say that we would pray about it (and really meant that).  Later that morning we were reading our daily devotion by Oswald Chambers and it said:

“God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience. Just think of the enormous amount of free time God has! He is never in a hurry. Yet we are always in such a frantic hurry. While still in the light of the glory of the vision, we go right out to do things, but the vision is not yet real in us. God has to take us into the valley and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the point where He can trust us with the reality of the vision. Ever since God gave us the vision, He has been at work. He is getting us into the shape of the goal He has for us, and yet over and over again we try to escape from the Sculptor’s hand in an effort to batter ourselves into the shape of our own goal.

The vision that God gives is not some unattainable castle in the sky, but a vision of what God wants you to be down here. Allow the Potter to put you on His wheel and whirl you around as He desires. Then as surely as God is God, and you are you, you will turn out as an exact likeness of the vision. But don’t lose heart in the process. If you have ever had a vision from God, you may try as you will to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never allow it.”

Here we are, 14 years (5,110 days later… but who’s counting?), and preparing to celebrate the 10^th Anniversary of Project Canaan – the place that we now call home in the tiny Kingdom of Eswatini, Africa. 

Home sweet home.

As Oswald said, we have been battered, put through fires and floods (literally and figuratively), put on the Potter’s wheel to be whirled around, all in preparation to be used by Him for His purposes.  He has directed us to build a home that currently houses 238 orphaned or abandoned children, and will be home to hundreds more in the years to come.

Project Canaan is a Place of Hope and a place of safety. I have no idea why God chose us out of the 7 BILLION people in the world, to do this work, but I sure am glad He did!

Don’t be afraid of God’s calling on your life.  Who knows? You might get really lucky and be sent to Africa!

Live from Eswatini … preparing for the celebrations.

Janine

"We need more diapers please!"

PS - please be sure to go to our Amazon Baby registry and buy some diapers and/or wipes for our children. They will be shipped in a container coming our way in August.  Just click here to shop!