“ Just go with the flow .” My parents , teachers , and counselors have each repeated this to me since I was young . This was more than a little difficult for me to put into practice as a structured , organized , and time-oriented person . Flexibility has never been my strong suit because I like having a plan and sticking to it .
Therefore , I knew that moving to Colombia for a summer to participate in OMS ’ Embark missions program would be a challenge .
On our second day in Medellín , we studied four keys to effective ministry . My roommate presented the third key : “ Be flexible and joyful .” She used James 1:2 – 4 , one of my favorite passages , to share about rejoicing in the midst of trials of various kinds because the testing of our faith produces steadfastness . I believe God uses foreshadowing , and he certainly did in this case .
As we began working with the Colombia prison ministry , I realized my need for a plan would have to be put on hold . Most days , we weren ’ t given details about the time or activity until the night before . Go with the flow .
One night , our missionary colleague asked my teammate and me to prepare an activity for home visits the next day . We planned a few games to play with the kids . As we got into the taxi the next morning , our coworker asked what program we planned to share with the kids . Program ? She had intended for us to put together a Bible story , not just games ! I was completely flustered , but my teammate took it in stride and decided to share the story of Joseph . He taught the lesson in English while I translated it in Spanish . Another opportunity to go with the flow !
Fast forward several weeks to after we had completed a weeklong home stay with a Colombian family . Our host mom , Adriana , sat us down to evaluate our time together . After telling her our observations about Colombian life , Adriana recounted what she had noticed about us during the week . She commended me on my maturity and organization ; then she said , “ You need to work on your flexibility and tolerance amid frustration .”
That hit me like a ton of bricks . Here was a woman who had known me for one week , yet she spoke directly about the thing I had been wrestling with the most in Colombia . Since that conversation , the Holy Spirit has prompted me to work on areas where I need to release my desire to have control over everything . Ministry requires us to adapt to ever-changing situations , and God calls us to be joyful throughout those adjustments .
For me , flexibility means obeying God wherever , whenever , and however . It means making a plan then holding it out to God with open hands and saying , “ Lord , if this isn ’ t your plan for me , go ahead and change it . I trust you , and I believe you know what ’ s best for me .” photo , page 18 : Summer 2023 Embark Colombia team members , along with OMS missionary mentors .
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