Epic God

Sometimes what God chooses to do is so fantastical, so unfathomable, so unbelievable, it is hard to put into words. As I attempt to conclude what happened the weekend of my dear friend’s “epic move” I laugh because it doesn’t seem believable, like a wild tale a child might tell. But it IS real, and the author of the tale is God Himself…

His ways are most definitely not our ways, certainly not my ways, and when circumstances reveal this truth I am suddenly confronted with His God-ness, His Other-ness, and I come to the realization that I don’t actually know Him like I thought I did. His Mystery meets my mediocrity, and I have to decide: Do I trust Him? His track record demands that I do, and yet there are times, to my own dismay, that I doubt. I doubt the Promise Keeper who’s Word is always true. In the midst of my doubt, when things do not go as planned or when God seemingly fails, I have the choice thrust upon me: Will I choose faith?

It was evident that we were not going to cross that river.

Why, Lord, would you bring us all this way, only to be thwarted here?

What exactly was this “better way” that God had in mind?

After some mapping out and phone call making, it was decided: all of Bekah’s and her colleague’s furniture would be stored in Letseng for safe keeping until the expedition leaders could arrange another weekend to finish the job they had begun. Because Letseng is one of the top producing diamond mines in the world, and so they know a thing or two about keeping things safe. I was caravanning with diamond mine people.

Our journey to the diamond mine took us though some of the most stunning Lesotho countryside I have ever seen. We followed the river up to Katse dam. Water rushing, heaving, the force so great the air rumbled as the open-mouthed dam thundered the reason we were not able to drive across the river.

We traveled down a personal memory lane as we bumped along a road I took on my first mountain drive in Lesotho, to the village of Motete. We journeyed across breathtaking expanse of God-formed mounts, untouched by the advent of technology, our sweaters gripped close as the winter chill already began to settle its icy grip upon the peaks.

We “followed” a rainbow to the diamond mine and when we finally arrived the rainbow hovered over the mine itself, end to end fixed firmly with the mine’s boarders. It was as if God was making it VERY clear that despite any misgivings we may have had, this was certainly a part of what He had planned.

So we stayed the night there, at the mine. All the while my mind reeled as I recalled the day’s events, how God orchestrated everything. How the river we should have crossed turned into a detour, which led to a symbol of promise over an unexpected blessing.

On our return journey to Maseru, the outreach team we were with arranged for a tour of the hydroelectric plant that generated electricity for Lesotho and some of South Africa.

Lord, who ARE these people to have these kinds of elite connections, and how in the world did I get the privilege of sharing in them? Truly you are God and I am your child!

Before we began our “electric” tour, the guide informed us that just days earlier two major malfunctions were identified within the plant, causing them to cut off the water supply to the generators. With the massive valves shut, the Katse dam was filled to excess. Which led to the need to release the overflow. Which caused the river to flood. Which kept us from our destination. I had to let it sink in…Did God really bring us to a place where our “why” could be answered?

We never made it to our destination. Because it really didn’t have anything to do with our destination. It had everything to do with the journey. Because God is all about the journey.

The God of the Journey had something bigger than “moving day” planned for that weekend. He knew that we were anticipating something larger-than-life to take place, something of epic proportions. He decided that furniture transport would not suffice. Instead He brought us a better way, through a test of faith and a detour beyond our wildest imaginations, in hopes that in our frustrations we would turn to Him.

In our weakness we would lean on Him.

And in our journey we would grow in Him. With Him. The Epic God.