Over the course of our relationship, Andrew has been seeking God's will for his job and praying for provision. One of the things that drew me to Andrew is watching him follow Christ in this process. As he saw the Lord leading him to an auto-mechanics job for New Tribes Mission, a ministry that seeks to build churches amongst unreached people groups around the world, at their headquarters in Sanford, FL, he began to wrestle with some deep theological questions. The way God met him with peace came by unlikely means.
One thing that I've learned about Andrew is that I must be patient. This is especially important as I prepare to be his wife I anticipate a constant waiting. Andrew is very thorough in decisions that he makes for his life. Once he had told me that he liked me, it took a week for him to find peace about beginning a relationship with me. I felt overwhelmingly valued as he sought to honor my heart in his leadership under Christ. The same was true as he prayed about asking me to be his wife. When the day came for his marriage proposal, I knew it was because God had given Andrew the complete peace that our marriage would be a union under Christ.
It didn't surprise me that when Andrew was given the opportunity for a job working on cars as a full-time ministry, that he wouldn't take this decision lightly. He reviewed the organization--the mission, values, and vision for ministry--that he would be a part of something he felt entirely honored to represent. Being so thorough in his decision making, Andrew is a very deep thinker and, in my opinion, very intelligent. Therefore, some deep theological issues came up in his time praying about ministry which he began to wrestle with deeply. It was difficult for me to watch him walk through a time of being so significantly without peace. Andrew would get so exhausted from studying God's Word and seeking him for answers that, even though he was off from work for several days, he was just as exhausted as if he'd been working on cars for 12 hours each day. There came a point when he was wrestling so deeply that something had to give.
Andrew had sought out men whom he respected from the church to discuss his struggle. This was helpful but I finally suggested to him that he contact the man with whom he'd been in contact with at NTM. God also kept putting a friend of mine from my time with Student Venture (Cru) on my heart as we discussed the issues he was having. I contacted my friend who gladly agreed to meet with Andrew. That all set up, Andrew was beginning to feel a bit better about what he was wrestling with.
The day before he was to confer with these two men concerning his questions, he was working at the shop. It was another slow day--no work means little income--and therefore, frustration. Then the man who collects the used oil from the shop arrived.
He had seen the Bible sitting in Andrew's car and asked about it. Acknowledging it as his own, the man proceeded to tell Andrew about how God had transformed his own life. Standing in the shop, the oil collector and the auto mechanic, the man asked if Andrew would like for him to sing the 23rd Psalm to him. Finding this an odd request--wouldn't you?--Andrew said, "Oh, that's ok." The man insisted.
As he sang, Andrew told me that something began to change in him. Yes, the man had a good voice--good tone quality and control. He sang well but it was more than just the music. It was the peculiarity of the situation--the oil collector and the auto mechanic standing in the shop, one singing the 23rd Psalm to the other--that illuminated God's presence in the midst of it all. As I understand it, there was something about the song--the revelation of God's word in the most unpredictable of places--that allowed the Holy Spirit to wash over Andrew with peace of his omnipresence and faithfulness.
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