God’s Faithfulness Amidst Uncertainty

FALL/WINTER 2020    |    3 MINUTE READ
LAURA ARNOTT, GLOBAL WORKER ON THE AIF

In any situation, plans can get completely derailed. It is how we respond to that change and uncertainty, however, that reveals who we think God is and where we place our trust. The following is a story the Arnott family sent out that speaks to the ways they saw God work when the plans of a visiting ministry team changed overnight.

It is always fun to take a small side trip and see the area while on a mission trip. Here, the team took time for a short hike at a nearby national park.

Amazing things can happen when we let go of our plans and expectations and let God bring about His perfect plan!

In March 2020, we welcomed a mission team from Indiana to our home on the American Indian Field (AIF). We had carefully planned their itinerary, meals, and accommodations. However, one of the best things about hosting a mission team is watching how God brings all the details together. This means that we must always be flexible with our plans.

So it began. The Wednesday evening before the team was set to fly out of Chicago, we received a phone call that a snowstorm had caused O’Hare airport to cancel all flights, including our team’s flight set for 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning! What started as panic God quickly transformed into peace. We knew God was in control and that He had great plans in store.

Some young and energetic helpers were happy to help the team build new outdoor benches for the church!

After some travel adjustments, the team finally arrived a full twenty-four hours later than expected! Upon their arrival, the first thing we noticed was the positive attitude of all of the team members. They had open hearts and a beautiful willingness to dive into whatever they were asked to do. And through their openness and obedience, the Lord certainly did great things! Through community outreach, work projects, prayer, testimonies, personal one-on-one conversations, and children’s activities, the love of Jesus was shown in the several villages of the Tohono O’odham Nation.

As a team, we enjoyed quiet fellowship with the Lord each morning, followed by sweet fellowship with one another. This set the tone each day and helped us prepare to share genuine love with every person we encountered.

Mealtime during one community outreach event.

It was awesome to hear testimonies of how the delay actually allowed for some God-ordained meetings for several of the team members. It is truly a wonderful thing when we can join together in the work of the Lord, with no expectations except to see the Lord orchestrate His perfect plan!

The testimony of the Arnott family speaks to the fact that no matter what changes around us, God truly is in control and working all things for good, even when we don’t understand what that is at the time. It is always important that we remember to turn our eyes to Jesus, trust that He is faithful, and stay open to the ways we can answer God’s call to love those He brings us in contact with.

ACTION STEPS

PRAY: In what ways are you struggling to trust God right now? What are some ways you have seen God’s faithfulness in the past, especially when things haven’t gone your way? What are you being called to do to help those around you? Ask God to give you peace and an openness to do whatever will bring Him the most glory.

GIVE: Support a short-term mission experience. You never know how God will use an opportunity like this one to shape someone’s worldview.

GO: Visit a missionary from your church! Connect through a video call or see if you could plan a trip to see them in person. Ask them about their experiences serving others and see what you can learn.

Author Bio: Laura Arnott is originally from Nappanee, Indiana, but now lives in the Southwest region of the United States where she serves on the AIF alongside her husband, Darin, and their son, Andrew.