Dear Family and Friends:

I couldn’t shake the depressing feeling that God had answered my prayer—but not in the way I wished for. We had been challenged by CCCI leadership to set an aggressive goal for our first 8 weeks of full-time Ministry Partner Development in Aiken, SC, starting January 24 and ending March 22^nd and pray for God’s provision to be a confirmation to us all. We prayed in faith that God would make His will clear by either blessing or blocking our way. We were able to gain referrals more easily in SC, and took that as an indication of His blessing and leading us towards this area. But funding was not coming in. In fact, we saw nearly seven weeks go by in which we saw $5 per month of new ministry partnership coming in from this area where we were spending most of our efforts.

It was a challenging goal of new monthly support to be raised by that time—maybe you can empathize with our concern by the beginning of week seven. Have you ever stepped out in faith, publicly, then waited for God to “show up?” I got a real object lesson in how weak my faith was. Ironically, I had just been told, by a spiritual leader, that our faith was great. But before God did what He did, He first showed me that wasn’t really true. The things which kept me and Cindy going were thoughts of our faithful supporters and our mutual conviction that God had called us to what we are doing.

The reason, the Bible says, that we have the great treasure [of God’s indwelling presence] in “earthen vessels,” is so that it shows that the extraordinary power comes from God and not from us. (2 Cor. 4:7)

There’s a concept in visual art called “chiaroscuro.” It’s a way of maximizing impact by contrasts, placing the lightest point of a picture next to the darkest point in a spot for greatest emphasis. (Caravaggio’s “Conversion of St. Paul” is a great example.) So, let me engage in a bit of chiaroscuro here: I had reached a point where I was angry with myself and, I have to now admit, unconsciously sort of resented God’s very apparent lack of blessing. Didn’t He appreciate our efforts and sacrifice at all? But by Thursday, March 10, I kind of reached the end of myself. I repented and readied myself to be offered in whatever way He wished. “…we are killed all the day long…accounted as sheep for the slaughter,” the Bible says.

Feeling kind of ‘fessed up and reconciled with God, I still couldn’t help wondering what the outcome would be. So let me explain how the answer came by giving a little set-up here. We obviously visit many churches as we raise our support. God has spoken to our hearts in many of them. But there was something special about March 13 at Breezy Hill Baptist Church in Graniteville, SC. Cindy was home with Luke, who was ill, so Emily and I went to church by ourselves. The Pastor’s Sunday School message was about the life of Joseph, how trials and challenges didn’t make him give up on God, that, instead, His problems were showcases for the power of God. As I entered the morning service, I began to wonder if God was going to do something amazing. I thought to myself, what would I consider a sign of His favor? Then I repented of the idea. (See Jud. 7:7, Luke 1:20) But I realized, He already knew what I was thinking—and maybe He even planted the idea. My favorite hymn is “Wonderful Grace of Jesus,” and I sneaked a peek at the hymnbook as the service was getting started to see if it was even there. It was at least there, and I had to confess that if we sang “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” as a congregation, I would take that as a sign of God’s favor. No sooner did I confess the thought than the choir came out—it seemed it was like fast-motion film—and sang a partial song, a bit of a chorus or something…then, like they couldn’t wait to get started, the words to the first congregational hymn appeared on the screen and we sang “Wonderful Grace of Jesus!” OK, that may not read as impactfully as I felt it, but to me…it was like a little personal letter of acceptance and approval from a loving Father. (Some lyrics: “Wonderful Grace of Jesus, reaching the most defiled; by its transforming power, making him God’s dear child!”) I can’t say I was yet completely convinced that our goal would be met, but I was once again completely convinced He loves me personally, intimately.

Beginning the next week, without any further input from me…God showed up. In ways that, even if I were a good support-raiser, (I’m not!), I couldn’t have anything to do with. For instance, we gained one ministry partner because God provided a raise on the evening I met him for the second time. The first time he had shared that he honestly couldn’t afford to be financially involved in what we were doing, even though he truly wanted to. I was totally unsuspecting when he began to share what God had done to answer our mutual prayer.

In ways like that, mostly in those last two weeks, we [He] more (by about 26%) than made our 8-week goal! Literally, over half came in the very last week. We feel as if we’re still vibrating from the blast of His power. I had to share a bare minimum of details in order to share the bottom line: this is what we needed to see! Not the money, not the approval of people we meet with, so much as God working on our behalf. His approval and confirmation and acceptance of our meager offering. Most of you who receive this letter have heard a phrase from my calling testimony, which is taken from the Experiencing God Bible study: “find out where God is at work, and join Him.” I have to tell you, I don’t feel particularly great as I write this, recovering as I am from a bout with stomach flu yesterday…but it feels great to know that I have joined God where He is truly working! And I want to stress that You, our ministry partners, have done the same thing. You have joined God in His work and have been part of God’s sovereign move on our behalf. Thank you, for your prayers, your sensitivity to His leading, and your sacrificial partnership! We love you and appreciate you more than we can say!

Love,

Mike and Cindy
“One Day Closer” (Rom. 13:11)