Hinderances Happen

It was Wednesday morning, November 4th. The men from our LifeChange program had just completed their morning study with one of our biblical studies volunteers. They were curious about the outcome from the previous night's meeting with the city's Planning Commission.

See, Lenawee County Mission has been earnestly seeking to expand, particularly our men's programs. Last year alone we turned away 238 men simply because we did not have room available. This past August we were able to secure a property that would provide us an occupancy twice of that which we currently have. In order to bring this to fruition, a zoning exception was needed from the city Planning Commission. The men were teeming with anticipation to hear whether or not the commission voted in favor of our intentions with this property.

I gathered them together to join me in reading a portion of Paul's first letter to the new Christians in Thessalonica. The reading focused on the second chapter where Paul speaks of his "second" attempt at visiting these newly faithful. I emphasized Paul's recognition that not only had he been hindered in his attempts for visitation, but that he also understood who hindered him.

Hinderances happen.

Like Paul, Lenawee County Mission has had its share of hinderances in its response to be faithful to God's call. And like Paul observed, as I explained to the men, hinderances have a hidden blessing: they reveal that you're in accord with what God desires for you. This should be, like it was with Paul, a great source of encouragement and joy to the Christian.

Our petition for zoning exception was denied the previous night by the Planning Commission, but both our ministry and our men found themselves paradoxically strengthened - richly confident in the concretization that God is in control.

When hinderances happen, and they inevitably will, let the faithful follow Paul's lead and confidently rejoice!