As missionaries to First Nations on Vancouver Island we want to share how we have experienced “vision.” Perhaps it is best to begin with, “Where does vision come from?” Well, vision should come from God!
But one might ask, “Can’t I have my own vision?” Absolutely! But without God, our best attempt at vision is just a morally good idea with a desire for an equally good and moral outcome. The worst-case scenario for vision, though, is a selfish idea to ambitiously bring glory to self or others, and that goes nowhere fast. Vision that is orchestrated by God can take one anywhere and can accomplish anything!
Take, for example, Abraham from the Old Testament. As recounted in Genesis 16:1-6, God took an old man with an old wife who had no hope of any offspring to a place that was unfathomable – even laughable to human wisdom! Abram received a word from the Lord and he believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness. However, Abram had to wait for the vision God had given to come to pass.
Waiting on the Lord seemed to have been a challenge even for the father of a multitude of nations! So Abram and Sarai had a “vision” (not even a morally good idea, but a selfish ambition) to solve the problem of being childless by bringing Hagar into the picture (later in Genesis 16). But the Lord had already come to Abram to set his and Sarai’s minds at ease. The Lord would bring the desired outcome according to His perfect will and perfect timing. After all human works and wisdom were exhausted, the vision the Lord had given came to pass as Sarai gave birth to Isaac!
God’s purposes always come directly from His perfect will and His perfect timing. So, with respect to vision, it is vital that we seek the Lord’s will through His Word with prayer and petition … and that we wait on His perfect timing. This is easier said than done!
Over two and-a-half years ago we felt called to move an hour and-a-half down the road from Courtenay to Nanaimo to continue ministry. The Lord had already opened the door there with a regular prayer meeting and Bible study on Snuneymuxw First Nation. The Lord also put on our hearts a vision to minister to the kids at Snuneymuxw First Nation School, and to start a kids’ club for 8 to 12 year-olds.
So, believing that the Lord was going to swing the doors open the next day, I went to work! I tried contacting chief and council by phone. They never returned my messages. I sent email after email, but no response. Short of jumping up and down with a neon sign outside the band office, I tried everything to no avail. This was the perfect time to bring the vision we received from the Lord back to Him – but I didn’t.
Instead, I contacted the school to speak to the principal directly. As a former teacher and principal before joining NCEM, I was sure the Lord would open the door for me at the school. But after several phone messages and zero calls returned, I began to wonder what God was doing.
But I didn’t consider what “I” was doing. I should have remembered Proverbs 3:5-6. I have given this passage to others who are not trusting, but it was me who needed this word from the Lord: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
I prayed, but continued to push, and absolutely nothing happened! Weeks turned into months until we had all but forgotten the vision that the Lord had put on our hearts for the kids of Snuneymuxw First Nation. So finally, after all human works and wisdom were exhausted and nearly two years had passed, the vision of the Lord’s direction came again. The Lord began to prick our hearts to pray for the community school. We prayed for several weeks, being careful not to “push” any doors open.
One day we decided to go and pray in the school parking lot. It was then that something incredible happened. The Lord encouraged me to march straight into the school and speak with the principal, and so I did! I was greeted by a very kind and open principal. Within the span of 20 minutes he agreed to have me come and volunteer to help their kids with reading, and encouraged me to hold our “KIA Klub” at the school, which we began shortly after. Praise be to God!
Between January and June the Lord began opening the hearts of many kids to Himself, with several receiving their own Bibles. In August we took some of these kids to Bible camp where they gave their hearts to Jesus! Lord willing, we will be having KIA Klub and volunteering at the school again this school year!
So what did I learn about vision from this two-year journey? Firstly, I got to see afresh that to accomplish God’s purposes, all vision needs to come from God. I also got to see that I cannot lean on my own will, my own desires, my own heart, or on my own understanding. In all my ways I have to trust in Him, and He will bring a good thing to pass.
And secondly, God’s timing is always perfect! The Lord will accomplish a good work on His own timeline, not on ours. We often see this in others’ lives, but it seems harder to see in our own. May this be an encouragement for each of us to seek the Lord’s perfect will in everything while waiting on Him to lead and guide.
