How do we KNOW God wants us in Costa Rica?

I was recently asked the question, “How do you KNOW that this is what God wants you to do and not just something you want to do?”  I really appreciated this question because it forced me to really think about, and try to articulate, what we have been feeling.  I guess it is much easier to discern God’s will for my life when I am abiding in Him.  The dictionary definition of abide is; to remain, continue, stay, dwell, reside, rest, or stand firm.  I abide in Jesus through walking hand in hand with Jesus on a daily basis.  Spending time in prayer, reading the Bible and meditating on scripture.  By meditating I do not mean that I am sitting in the Lotus position saying, “om.”  I will often jot down a bible verse that I read in my devotional time and think about it throughout the day.  Sometimes I work on memorizing it.  I usually ask God the question, “How do you want me to use this verse or passage today?”
Sometimes a thought will come to me right away and other times it’ll come much later as to exactly what I can do with that verse.  Some people call it a conscience but I take those thoughts as the Holy Spirit talking to me.  See, I am naturally a very selfish and self-centered person so I know that these ideas of thoughtfulness and unselfishness that come have to be God’s idea, not mine.  Another way I try to abide in Him is through really digging in and studying the Word of God.  I do this through an in depth weekly Bible study as well as teaching Sunday school.  For me, the preparation for teaching is a great way to study the Bible.  Wow!  Reading this over, I see that I’m making myself look like a saint.  Being faithful is a life-long process, it is so easy for me to skip a day here or there and that might turn into a week or even a month might go by when I haven’t cracked open my Bible.  When this happens, I’ve noticed that I get very irritable, I start having pity parties, and bicker with Rob over the stupidest things.  The wonderful thing is that God is always there when I come back to him.

I have come to learn that there is a fine line between something that I want to do and what God wants me to do when I am abiding in Him.  Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  So it’s not really about me getting or doing what I want that this verse it talking about.  It’s about how, when I am close to God, what He wants becomes what I want. 

When Elise was just 3 years old and Mara was turning 1, I had the best job that I had ever had in my life.  I was working part-time as a therapist in an extended day treatment program with troubled kids.  I enjoyed the clientele that I was working with, I worked with a great team of people that I respected and enjoyed being around, and I had a boss who was supportive, encouraging, understanding and family focused.  I was doing exactly what I had always dreamed of doing.  Then one day (or maybe over the course of several weeks or months from God’s perspective) a thought came to me that I needed to quit my job and devote my time and attention to my children.  That thought clearly came from God because it was so far from my naturally selfish way of thinking.  I argued with God, kicking and screaming because this was the absolute last thing that I wanted to do.  I was afraid of losing my identity.  Then I read Psalm 37:4.  Whoa!  I remember the exact words I prayed at that moment.  “OK God.  If quitting my job is really what you want me to do, then make that the desire of my heart too.” It didn’t happen right away but eventually being a stay at home mom did become the desire of my heart.   I did quit my job and you know, I never did lose my identity as a Marriage and Family Therapist but God added to my identity; loving and devoted mother as well as obedient child of God.

Becoming missionaries was not a sudden thing.  As I discussed in “Our Story,” God has been preparing us for the last 20 years.  Once we thought that we heard God ask us to do missionary work in Costa Rica we, like Gideon and the fleece in Judges 6, asked God to make it clear to us.  We did this through asking respected fellow Christ followers for their counsel.  We went to a Missionary Assessment where we were confirmed.  Every fleece that we have laid out has come back confirming our “call” to the mission field. 

So, how do we KNOW that moving our family to Costa Rica as missionaries is “God’s will” for our lives?  We have done our “due diligence” and have complete peace about the decision.  Yes we are going to miss our families and friends deeply but we are also very excited about the new adventure that God is taking us on.  AND…we know that God goes before us.

- Yvonne