"Why Not in Canada?"

Beginning of February I was at Missionfest Manitoba for A Friday Night and Saturday!  I love missions and hearing the heart of missionaries. It really is one of my favorite things to be in a room with them and some of the greatest examples in my life have been missionaries!  I can't remember the exact theme in words, but it was something along the lines of missions in places of adversity...or serving in the hard places!  Little did I know the ways that God would challenge my own heart through this!

I sat in sessions hearing a brother (with joy literally exploding from his heart) share his stories of being in concentration camps in Cambodia!  My throat got a little more "lumpy" even as I listened to another brother talk of his being imprisoned by guerrilla soldiers and how he ministered to them in forgiveness and love! Phew! that challenged my heart and opened my heart to ask the question "Would I be willing to go through that for the sake of Jesus?"

The day came to a close and even after all the stories of adversity there were powerful stories of glory and transformation!  People all around the world are being powerfully saved, baptized and are walking with Jesus!  Yahoo!

I left there still with this question coming to my heart though "Why not in Canada, God?" I sat there thinking this through and in days after in the quiet He whispered "Your faith...it needs to be bigger!  I am doing something in you and around you that you can't even see." 

 Without faith it is impossible to please Him and whoever would come to  Him must believe that God exists and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)

This was my "Word" for 2016...and right there in that seat I was challenged with my own unbelief in my God.  My heart selfishly screamed out," I want to go where people are hungry for You!  I want to go where thousands are being saved!  I want the 'easy ministry' !"  

Anybody else notice the pattern of 'I 'in the last paragraph?!  I realized then  I need to be reminded that I am not called to those "easy" countries.  God sent me to a little city on the Prairie. God didn't equip me to live somebody else's calling or to sit around coveting their ministry fruit.  God doesn't give me more than HE can handle and He certainly doesn't call me or anyone else to live easy, but to live glory!

So here in Canada...in a 'deadbeat city' I choose to believe by faith that it really is "The City of Possibilities."  Here in Canada where people  seem to have put up walls to the love/ Gospel of Jesus Christ...I I choose to believe by faith that by LOVE and the Person of Love that the walls will come down.  Here in Canada where I've tried every last method of program, formula and ministry tool and still see no result/change in people I choose to cry out with faith for breakthrough and powerful transformation through the Name that is  above Every Name--Jesus!  Here in Canada I am reminded that this was never about me...I believe by faith that what looks like a fruitless season of ministry is not wasted...and the real change has to start in my heart. I choose to see with eyes of faith this season of ministry like this: 

Habakkuk 3:17-19New International Version (NIV)

17 

Though the fig tree does not bud

    and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

    and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

    and no cattle in the stalls,

18 

yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

I will be faithful because the One who goes behind me and before me is faithful...Here in Canada and the world and so I pray, " Increase My Faith in You as I am here in Canada!"