God says, “I know the plans that I have for you.” I usually get reminded of this at the most inconvenient of times. God answers prayer in a weird ways, doesn’t he? For years, CIA has needed transportation to pick up students at TAMUCC. College students don’t always have the most reliable vehicles or the cash for gas for that matter too! Every time prospecting wheels turn up however, something went array with the deal. The vehicle wasn’t reliable, or the salesperson was a snake charmer, it just wasn’t the right timing for CIA to have a vehicle, until last month.
I have a brother from another mother. Literally we look alike, act alike, and have been confused for blood more times than I can count. Alan Yarbrough my Jonathon. He is my best friend. I can count on this guy for need I have and he can do the same with me. Two years ago, Al and I were having coffee at my house in Corpus. He was talking about how the church where he is the worship pastor, Calvary Baptist in Andrews, TX, were donating a people mover. “Clint, we are going to give our people mover away…” Before he finished I interrupted, “ Well take it!”
I often make a fool of myself. I’m accustomed to how leathery my foot tastes. Al looked at me, the surprise on his face was priceless, and said, “Man I wish I would of known that, we just gave it away to a church in Mexico.” I drank my coffee wishing that I had spoken up, also wishing that I hadn’t yelled so early in the morning.
God has a way of making faith a full contact sport doesn’t he? I literally beat myself up for not telling Al that we needed transportation sooner. I was asking God, “ Ok so who else of my close friends may have a bus they are willing to donate?” I called all my ministry friends and acquaintances, asking them if they possibly could help. No such luck. It wasn’t in the cards but little did I know God was working. It was in these times CIA banded together. Our guys would travel across Corpus to pick people up. God stretched them and taught us how to serve people with our vehicles. This actually brought the group closer together.
Al and Sara came to see their nephew, Asher Blaze, in July. They came with awesome news. Telling us that they were pregnant, too! We were ecstatic for them! We took them out to celebrate at our favorite place to take people, Pier 99! Our brides and Asher went to bed, and Al and I stayed awake talking about what God is doing in our lives and how our ministries are going. Around two in the morning after we were about to go to bed ourselves, he turned to me in the hall and asked, “You still wouldn’t be interested in the people mover.” “YES!!!” I whispered as loud as I could without waking the baby.
Isn’t in the moments when we think nothing will or can happen, God moves. The next morning he explained that the church in Mexico didn’t want the bus any longer. So the church decided to give it to someone who needed it, from July to November the details were being hammered out. In December the bus was ready to go. Although something had happened in Corpus that no one foresaw, the bus would be used very little for CIA- Corpus Christi.
Andy Bennett had introduced the idea of Impact- Corpus Christi, at a lunch in November at Water Street. He was sharing his vision for helping kids and using the kids to reach their families in the inner city of Corpus. I have seen this type of evangelism work before. In CIA’s mission trip’s we work with inner city kids in Tulsa, OK. I have personally seen family be saved and repent from being a crack house to being a house of God. These repentances didn’t start from the parents down however; God used the kids to change the parent’s hearts towards him. The young will teach the old. When Andy shared his vision, I knew whom the bus was for. Sure CIA would use the bus every once and awhile for trips but overall this bus was going to downtown Corpus. This bus is to share God’s glory with the people he adores the most, children.
God’s ways are not ours. The spirit’s plan is often grander than anything we can produce. Last Tuesday we had a meeting with all of CIA, in this meeting all the CIAers looked at these kids and this mission that Andy has laid out and were excited. I was told by more than one that this is what they have been praying for. That this is God answering their prayers. We have college students getting their CDL to drive the bus. We have many volunteers ready for anything that might be thrown at them.
The kids have only been twice but have made an everlasting impression on me. For example a little girl, Evelyn, came up to me and said, “ I like you” as only a 4 year old can. I asked her, “Why?” She looked at me with huge eyes and answered, “Because you protect us.”
This bus is an answer to prayers. We can pickup more kids and eventually their families. But when I was praying for a Bus, God answered with children. When I thought the blessing was a free set of wheels, I see that the true blessing is sharing the Gospel with children. Jesus moves in mysterious ways. His ways are truly amazing. Get excited church, we are seeing God at work.
Ha! Love it