God’s Hug

As is Ruth’s and my custom, after supper we share devotions/prayer together. It was Thursday, February 6 and Beth also joined us as we opened the “Daily Guide” Scripture Union Uganda devotional book. Startled, I heard Ruth read the suggested passage for that day, Isaiah 58.  This was the very passage God used on September 14, 2009, in the Philippines to challenge me regarding my availability to minister to a broken people for the Savior.  It was also that day the e-mail arrived from Uganda asking us to consider coming and beginning a VOICE-like program in the Ugandan schools. Now, here we are in Uganda in the very week when the very first Values Education Class was being taught and the training for other volunteers was nearing.

But that’s not all that amazed us that evening. Guess who the author of that day’s devotional might be?  None other than our Ugandan co-worker sitting across the table!  She wrote the Isaiah 58 devotional two years previous for submission to the Regional Scripture Union. She had written, “Do we not want our ‘light to rise in the darkness and night to become as the noonday’? Children are amongst the most oppressed and hungry. By helping them we are in fact helping ourselves and deepening our relationship with God (v.14).’”  Two years ago, did Beth ever dream she would be Test Teaching a Biblical Values Curriculum to 36 oppressed and hungry students in a neighborhood school? Yet, on the very day of her devotional, here she was in our home.  We are humbled as we continue to realize God’s plan for us together embracing the children of Uganda…and once again amazed at His timing. What a special hug of encouragement from our God!

Just a quick cute story...as Beth was teaching the truth that God loves us so much, He even knows how many hairs are on our head, one of the girls rubbed her shaved head and broke out in a huge giggle of total amazement that God knew that much about her!