It was unexpected to be invited, but an honour. I’m excited about the opportunity, and suspect there will end up being quite a story in how God provides to get me there! [Cultures and Kingdom 00-Series Preview]

One way the Lord often uses to direct me is clarity of mind that comes in the morning. It happens especially when I’ve been in a process of praying and thinking, seeking and discerning over any number of days. This morning it came together for me how unlikely it is that I should be going on a road trip to the Global Roundtable for Emerging and Underground Ministries, this July in Poland. After all, I haven’t traveled internationally since 1990, and I’ll need a renewed passport. That isn’t really such a big problem in itself. But then, as one who endures the effects of chronic fatigue, travel just isn’t that easy for me. That could be a much bigger problem. And then, the fact that my job ended October 31 due to the economic downturn, and that I’ve been underemployed ever since … now that could surely prove the biggest problem of all.

Energy and money – those two issues resurface any time I sense a “Divine Road Trip” is underway. But, if I made those two things the first and/or final criteria for deciding what I think God’s will is, I’d be a complete stay-at-home shut-in because rarely do I have energy and/or money. But the mandates of being transformed and ministering to others require us to go beyond the easy and comfortable, and engage at least once in a while in some faith-stretching risk-taking disciple-making enterprise.

And so, over the years, I have learned to make the decision about going somewhere based on discernment first, rather than whether I physically feel up to going or whether I immediately have the funds to get there. Sometimes it’s a series of shaky steps, but it all works out – as with my trip to Houston for Doxology in 2005 – whether by a subtle or spectacular series of “divine dominoes” to get me on the road. Sometimes it doesn’t work out – as with my hoped-for trip to GodBlogCon 2008 – which doesn’t necessarily mean I was chasing after something wrong. It could be other issues, such as it being the right thing but the wrong timing. Or maybe the process of learning and discerning was more important for me than the product of going was. Or …

Maybe the key thing is the story these faith adventures create. And living into our stories by taking steps forward, knocking on doors to see what opens. And working with the Spirit as if this is a collaborative project in which there’s some scripting plus some improvisation plus some stage directions plus an ensemble cast plus some props and lighting and backdrops.

So, if the story’s the thing, why should I expect that all would be easy going – especially to a global roundtable that focuses on ministry in emerging and alternative and underground cultures? Aren’t those very settings and our involvements there a “God story” in themselves? So, whenever I go on road trips with God’s blessing, I’ll not be looking for ease (as pleasant as that would be!) but for “providential grace” along the way.

Sidenote: Funny, as I was writing this post, I suspected there was something providential even in the choice of that term. And sure enough, turn

[p-r-o-v-i-d-e-n-t-i-a-l  g-r-a-c-e]

inside out and we find a nearly perfect anagram that spells:

[Enlarge: Road Trip]

with a few leftovers and leftunders! And that’s the ultimate thing, really. That road trips are faith-stretchers, by divine design.

(P.S. Sometimes I scare even myself when stuff like that just pops into my brain.)

(P.P.S. Almost frighteningly, a PERFECT anagram for Providential Grace turns out to be: Evangelic Road Trip. Now what were the odds of that?!)

I suppose I’ll eventually have to deal with (or just ignore) the energy issue. Meanwhile, the monetary issue keeps pressing in.

Work has been sparse and income has been spotty since November. However, in the last five months, I have not missed a bill payment yet. (I think that counts as miraculous!) Now here we are in April – and I have five different kinds of tax bills due simultaneously on April 15. (And you thought your taxes were complicated!) Only a week ago, I discovered that the total I owed was outrageously far more than I’d expected, and without a penny available to pay toward the multiple thousand dollars needed. And yet a gracious Father worked swiftly through the prayers, loans, and gifts of His people to cover this need. In one weekend, the needs were completely covered, with a bit left over to take the next step on getting a passport, and buy food for the rest of April, and purchase four books on a subject I know I’m supposed to study.

I doubt the memory of this provision will fade anytime soon, especially since some very dear friends presented me with double gift: a check, plus an unusual wallet that will be my concrete reminder of God’s providential grace for this seemingly impossible road trip to the Poland Roundtable.

Now, I immediately found this denim-like fabric wallet really intriguing, beyond that story of its journey to me. (It just happened to be designed and manufactured by a twenty-something friend of mine, and if I get her permission, I’ll come back and post a picture of her wallet here.) [UPDATE: Monica said yup, so here's wazzup!]

No Bread Wallet, designed by Monica

It took mulling it over last night and this morning to figure out why this wallet so caught my attention.

I found my answer in Mark 6:8-10. In that chapter, we have the account of Jesus sending disciples on … a road trip!

These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.” (New International Version)

Maybe having everything we need all together before we begin isn’t such a great thing when we’re going on an “evangelic road trip.” Praying, trusting, and seeing God provide just enough for the next step when it’s time to take the next step – now that plunges us right into experiential learning about faith and following Jesus. Maybe a minimalist preparation will be all we have. Am I okay with that?

I wonder what the disciples learned on these excursions into providential grace. Or were they still at such early stages of faith development that the lessons needed far more reinforcing before they sunk in? (I can relate …) Ironically, later in Mark 6 is the account of Jesus’ miracle in feeding 5,000 people. And what sparked this situation? In part, it was because there was NO BREAD available to feed people who’d been listening to Jesus teach. If the disciples had learned deeply from their previous road trips, would they have had a more positive perspective on forthcoming provisions of grace?

I hope my previous road trips have prepared me for what stretches in faith lie ahead. And now, I have a “No Bread” wallet for my by-faith-probable road trip to Poland. Surely God has a sense of humour embedded in His providential grace …

Stay tuned as we find out how this storyline unfolds!

A final P.S. To read the encouraging account of providential grace for the “evangelic road trip” I took to Houston in 2005, see the three-part series on Greyhound Jesus and Alabama Jimmy. The Lord does indeed provide in strange and mysterious ways to accomplish His purposes in us, and through us!

This has been cross-posted at my futuristguy@missionaltribe blog.