Last week as I was pulling into a parking spot I turned too sharply, and my back tire cover broke the plastic tail light cover on a pickup truck in the space next to me. Face palm. Due to various complications, it cost not only the money for the tail light replacement, but multiple hours and meetings with the other party and the traffic police to figure out the solution. I found myself frustrated and thinking that the problem could have been easily fixed in 15-20 minutes if I had my way.
While sitting with the other driver and the traffic officer in the station I told them that I was a missionary in the area. They asked the normal questions like how long have you been here and where have you gone. However, when we were almost done the officer asked me, “Since you are a missionary, do you have any words of wisdom from God to share with us?” I replied that I did and proceeded to share the gospel with them, which led to the officer asking 3 questions related to salvation that he had clearly been wondering about before. The next day we gave him a gospel tract and he sent me a friend request on Facebook.
1 Peter 3:15 says “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” God continues to teach me about this. I was frustrated over some lost time and money, which in the grand scheme mean nothing. He has greater and eternal purposes He wants to use us for.
-Joe
Read more about Joe & Elizabeth's Journey to the Philippines on their blog