This is Joshua and his family. Have you ever planted yams? One day I had the privilege of learning this trade from Joshua and his family. I met them when I was living in the village of Balama, Papua New Guinea, last year (2016) during my one month stay.
First you dig a round hole. Next you take a stick and place it in the middle of the dug hole. You find a number of already ripe yams and place one of them next to the stick. Then you fill the hole in with dirt and make a mound. Finally, after months of rain and cultivation by Joshua, during harvest time, the yams will be ready.
A few years ago, the LORD began to plant something in my heart. I began to think about a possible change in direction, away from being an Emergency Room RN towards some type of counseling. However, at the time it was a small seed and not yet ready to harvest.
About 4 years go by, and now it’s Summer 2015. The thought returns about pursuing some sort of counseling but with the added thought of having biblical understanding to bring to the counseling. The planted seed has grown and developed, but yet not quite ready to be harvested by the LORD.
In May 2015, I joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and began to pursue moving to Papua New Guinea. I was to work as an RN supporting Bible Translation, Translators, and Support Workers on one of the branch centers. I couldn’t figure out how to combine the two roles of pastoral care and counseling, so I let the thought go and continued to pursue what the LORD was leading me towards.
I arrived to the branch center in Papua New Guinea in mid-October 2016. After being on center for about 2.5 months, the LORD again brought up the desire towards biblical counseling but with the added idea of helping missionaries. I began to wonder if the LORD was starting to harvest what he had planted back in 2011.
It is amazing to me how intertwined my daily life can be to things I am learning from the LORD. I recently finished reading about Joseph and his time in prison with the cup-bearer. The LORD gave Joseph the gift of interpreting the cup-bearer’s dream. A seed was planted with the cup-bearer to remember Joseph. However, it was 2 years before this seed would be harvested. When it was though, Joseph was immediately brought from prison to Pharaoh’s presence and made Prince of Egypt.
Just like it took time for the yams to be ready, and for Joseph to be Prince of Egypt, so it has taken time for the LORD to grow and cultivate this desire he planted within me. I believe Joseph was ready for when the LORD came and harvested what was planted in him to become Prince of Egypt. Now it’s June 2017 and the LORD has begun to harvest what was planted within me back in 2011.
Are you going to be ready when the LORD comes/begins to harvest what He has planted within you?
Chronicles of a Traveling RN 