Before I get started I want to give you a definition, and I want you to keep this word/definition in the back of your mind as you read the following.
Fluid:
1 a : having particles that easily move and change their relative position without a separation of the mass and that easily yield to pressure : capable of flowing
b: subject to change or movement
2: characterized by or employing a smooth easy style
3: available for various uses
Jesus Feed the Five Thousand
Matthew 14:13-21
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to the heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides woman and children.
In verse 13 Jesus had just found out that King Herod had killed John the Baptist, so Jesus wanted to have some time alone to reflect. In the last part of verse 13 crowds gathered to where Jesus was. I’m sure that Jesus had not planned for large crowds to come to him while he was seeking alone time, but he was fluid and had compassion on these people and healed them. After that, it was getting late (it had probably been a long busy day), the disciples came to Jesus asking for the crowds to be sent away and that they had a place to rest. The disciples had “their plan” or “their schedule” and the last thing they wanted to hear was Jesus telling them that the crowds do not need to go away, and not only do they not need to go away, but I want you to work and feed them. The disciples were fluid, they changed their plans and did what needed to be done.
This week here in Honduras has been a prime example of being fluid and completely changing things around. Tuesday we had planned to go to San Pedro Sula (about a 3 hour drive from where we live) to extend Ben, Julie, Leighanne, and Hannah’s passports for another 30-60 days while they still wait for residency. Everything was going so smoothly, we were able to get the extensions and do some other things we wanted to do while we were already in San Pedro….until we were literally pulling out of the parking lot to head back home, all of a sudden the Honda had no power(alternator went bad) and we were stranded in a not so good part of San Pedro. But with the help of another missionary, Russell Sowers, we were able to get the Pilot towed to a mechanic, and get hotel rooms for the night. We had to adjust and shift our plans completely around and resolve our problems. Thankfully God put people into our lives who are living their lives fluidly also. They adjusted their plans and helped us tremendously. Ben and Austin were finally able to leave San Pedro early Thursday morning in a repaired Honda to make it back in time for a meeting that we had scheduled.
We have been having some small plumbing issues in our house since we moved in, so Friday (we had other plans for that day) we thought we would take a look at it to attempt to resolve these issues. Well naturally things around here aren’t repaired quickly, and it ended up taking all day Friday and most of the day Saturday to actually get nothing fixed. Again, making changes in our plans.
Saturday while we were driving around doing a little bit of shopping, the power in the Nissan went out(luckily we were just in town), we ended up getting it back to the house, but we believe it to be the beginning of the alternator going out as well.
As Christians and missionaries, we need to be fluid. We need to be ready and equipped to do whatever it is that God wants us to do. Being fluid is not easy, it can change your whole day, it can shift your entire week, but being positive and being able to do whatever is needed to get things done in order to reach those around us in physical and spiritual needs.
1: While most of the family was getting passport extensions Austin and Taylor received their residency!!!
2: We have had several pastors come by the at cost bible book store, that too is really exciting because we are getting to meet and make relationships with them and practice a little Spanish.
3: Continue to pray for the exciting opportunities that we are working out the details with, and we will be sharing those details soon.
In Him,
Austin