Unexpected Opportunities

I love unexpected opportunities.

What do I mean by that? Have you ever had an opportunity to bless someone or minister in some way that was completely unplanned? I love being able to do that. I love it when God is "spontaneous" (if that's possible to call Him that...).

On Saturday, I had one of those opportunities. I was visiting a youth group in Sykhiv, one of the southern regions of L'viv, and the youth pastor asked me to teach that night, just sharing what was on my heart and what happened during my time in America.

I shared with them some of the challenges that I faced during that time, reading from Psalm 23 and Joshua 1. Katya translated for me (I'm still working on speaking Ukrainian in regular conversation... I have been able to teach with it before, but definitely not spurr-of-the-moment). I challenged them to be brave, to do what God is calling them to do, and to trust God with their lives. It was a good thing, I think.

I want to encourage you guys to be people that won't be surprised if God gives you an opportunity to minister or bless someone in a strange time or in a strange way. What led to me being able to share at that youth group was the fact that the youth pastor didn't have keys to unlock their rented storage room and get out the projector equipment for the film they were supposed to be watching that night.

God can use anything for good... He is amazing. I hope that you can get a glimpse of that tonight. Instead of freaking out because something doesn't work, look for what He's doing in the background, and, if you can't see it, trust Him that He is.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 NASB)