God the Provider is good. Let me share the work that He has been doing.
The last few weeks since I have been home from Lesotho the evil one has been trying to discourage us. He has been putting evil lies into our heads, telling us that we aren't ever going to make it to Kenya. We also have felt like we have hit a little bit of a wall.
Instead of caving into the feelings of despair, and giving up, we have decided to keep plugging along. We recognize that the race we are in is not a sprint but instead, a marathon. I have run both kinds of races. When I ran sprints (emphasis on the past tense) I would give every bit of energy for a very short amount of time. I couldn't last long as I sprinted and ten minutes after the race I would have enough energy to go on a short little jog, or even get ready for another race.
However, when I ran a marathon I took a different approach. I knew that 26.2 miles is a long way and that I would need to pace myself. If I ran it like a sprint I wouldn't be able to last one mile. So, I paced myself throughout the race. I was giving as much as I could at the time, knowing that I needed to last for a while. At many points of the race, I was exhausted and the race became a mental game. I kept telling myself that I just needed to plug along, telling myself that I was not really tired and that I can rest at the end of the race. Along the way, there were stations with water and fruit, to get refreshed. These stops were just enough to give me the energy to keep going until I hit the next one. By the time I hit the finish line, I was completely exhausted. I had given everything I had and had nothing left in the tank. But, I had finished. I practically needed assistance walking back to my car afterwards and I did not run again for 6 months. (10 years later I still say that I ran enough that day to carry me through these last few years.)
This life I am living is a marathon. Sometimes I might be tired and feelings of despair may come, but that is when I must continue to plug along, knowing that I can rest when I get to the end of the race. This last month has been one of those parts of the race where it has been a matter of telling myself to just keep going. Go through the pain. Go through the tiredness, and get to the next refreshment station.
Today, God gave us one of those pit stops. A place to drink His water of peace and the fruit of His provision. We received a statement from Africa Inland Mission (AIM) our sending organization. I opened it up, not expecting anything new and something shocked me. A new donation from a third party organization. The donors are named Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous. (I can't wait to meet this couple some day.) I have often seen their name around and yet I have been unable to meet them. I am sure that at the end of the race I will be able to meet them. However, right now they are just standing on the sideline cheering us on, hidden among the crowd.
The donation was kind of a random amount and so I thought that it must be a mistake. That we were credited with someone else's donation. So, I called AIM to confirm. (Yes, I did, for real) The receiving department looked up the donation, confirmed it and read it to me. She said, "Yes, donor Anonymous designated this amount for Adam and Heather Cheney and family." As she hung up the phone she told me that God has blessed us. He has blessed us indeed. What seemed like a random amount is actually the amount that we will need for our entire family for one entire month while we are serving in Kenya. We are blown away at God's provision. Only our God, who cares for us and cares for the lost ones yet to be told about Him can provide in this way. Only He, can put it on Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous's heart to put their money towards building God's kingdom.
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous. Thanks for cheering us along the way and we look forward to meeting you face to face at the finish line. Your support allows us to continue to run with endurance this race we are in.
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