It was not until after we moved overseas and began serving at a Christian school in Europe that we realized we were now responsible for recruiting teachers, not just this year but every year for the rest of our careers. Why had that not occurred to us in the months leading up to our move? Would we have answered the call if it had?

Someone had recruited us. Still, it had not crossed our minds that when they stepped aside, we would be searching for others to come and teach. Some would be interested but daunted by college debt, afraid to raise support, or turned away by the counsel of pastors, friends, and parents. We understood those situations, even as we struggled to find enough staff to keep the school open. As stress crept through me like a cancer, colleagues reminded us that God had always provided. We knew that to be true, but also that God sometimes closes schools and shuts down ministries. My head knew what my all-powerful God could do, but my anxious heart wondered what He would do each year as we sought future teachers. The trust that had walked with us through support raising sometimes seemed elusive and invisible.

Janessa Cypher’s article titled “Joyfully Flexible,” shared on “A Life Overseas,” a blog that addresses issues global workers face around the world, shared six convicting truths about trusting in the Lord:

“Trusting in the Lord brings confidence, not stress. 
Trusting in the Lord brings provision, not panic. 
Trusting in the Lord brings peace, not fear. 
Trusting in the Lord brings joy, not anxiety. 
Trusting in the Lord brings resiliency, not brokenness. 
His care for us is constant, consistent, and complete.”

The statements above can be great diagnostic tools as we examine our hearts and ask ourselves if a lack of trust might need to be addressed. Charles Swindoll said this about trust: “Trusting God doesn’t alter our circumstances. Perfect trust in Him changes us…When you trust the Lord God to give you the next step, when you wait in humility upon Him, He will open the doors or close them and you’ll get to rest and relax until He says go.”