Few days ago, my dad called.
“Your work permit came out.”
The unexpected good news surprisingly did not catch me off guard. I simply sat and listened, as the smile on my face widened with every passing second. To many, this may not be a big deal. It’s just one of the freely given, and thus often granted opportunities for those living in the States.
For me though, this is the beginning of a long waited Answer. An answer to countless prayers lifted up for more than a decade which often involved crying out both in deep frustration and desire.
Since 2001, I have been living in this nation under a visa status that has prevented me from receiving financial support from the government as well as going overseas for mission and educational purposes.
But I trusted in God’s perfect timing and waited in prayer. I sowed into foreign nations with prayer, short term missionaries with financial support, and mission needs with creative resources. Looking back, I truly believe that every prayer lifted up to heaven advanced my attaining of permanent residency. And it’s still going as I speak.
Did I mention that the work permit that was supposed to take three months came out in two weeks? God is so intentional in everything He does. And with sharing of the good news, my unbelieving father admitted to the power of prayer:
“Can’t belive it came out so fast. You must have prayed a lot.”
My heart burns for the day where the Answer will meet its completion. The day where I can serve God’s people and to-be children overseas. The day where I can see God’s hand move so powerfully and mightily that I tremble and fall on my knees. The day where I can meet face-to-face and hold hands of the people I have been praying for thousands of miles away. I can go on and on about the triumphant moment when my dreams will become a reality.
But more than that, I’m so thankful for this moment of waiting.
The anguish and joy I receive from the lessons of this process are priceless.
It’s only a matter of months now, even weeks. The destination is so close. But for now, I want to treasure and cherish the lessons that I will never be able to go back to.
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.”
Psalm 130:5-6
beauty in the broken 