Open Doors: Illustrations, Quotes, And Quips
Stories
Open Doors for Preaching, Teaching, and Public Speaking
Following God's Plan
A young woman felt compelled to go to India as a missionary. During her preparation to leave for her "new" country, her mother was in an accident. She delayed her trip in order to remain by her mother's side. Three years later her mother died. On her deathbed she requested that her daughter go out west and visit her sister.
The young woman did as she was requested. She was still planning on going to India, as soon as she had completed visiting with her sister. When she arrived she discovered her sister dying from consumption and without proper medical aid. So, as with her mother, she stayed with her sister until she, too, died.
Once again her determination was to head for India. But once again a family member's death prevented her from going. This time her sister's husband had died, and five small children remained as orphans. No one would take the five children. She determined that she would stay in the United States and raise the children so that they would not be separated.
Her plans of missionary service seemed over. She would never get to India. She took up her sister's lonely house as her mission station instead and raised her sister's children as if they were her own. It was not easy, but God gave her His strength and help.
Later God showed her why she wasn't to go to India. Because, instead of letting her go, God called three of the five children she had raised to go in her place. She had followed God's plan instead of her own, and a greater expansion of the gospel was accomplished by three instead of one. (Dynamic Preaching, Knoxville: Seven Worlds Corporation, Vol. 9, No. 8, August, 1994, p. 22.)
A young woman felt compelled to go to India as a missionary. During her preparation to leave for her "new" country, her mother was in an accident. She delayed her trip in order to remain by her mother's side. Three years later her mother died. On her deathbed she requested that her daughter go out west and visit her sister.
The young woman did as she was requested. She was still planning on going to India, as soon as she had completed visiting with her sister. When she arrived she discovered her sister dying from consumption and without proper medical aid. So, as with her mother, she stayed with her sister until she, too, died.
Once again her determination was to head for India. But once again a family member's death prevented her from going. This time her sister's husband had died, and five small children remained as orphans. No one would take the five children. She determined that she would stay in the United States and raise the children so that they would not be separated.
Her plans of missionary service seemed over. She would never get to India. She took up her sister's lonely house as her mission station instead and raised her sister's children as if they were her own. It was not easy, but God gave her His strength and help.
Later God showed her why she wasn't to go to India. Because, instead of letting her go, God called three of the five children she had raised to go in her place. She had followed God's plan instead of her own, and a greater expansion of the gospel was accomplished by three instead of one. (Dynamic Preaching, Knoxville: Seven Worlds Corporation, Vol. 9, No. 8, August, 1994, p. 22.)
