The big events, the ones where there is a before and an after, rarely play out exactly as we anticipate. Because we are expert at creating future realities in our minds. Setting internal expectations and believing what we dream of and plan for will come to pass in the ways we imagine.

You and I and the people we serve are part of a larger story. We have our resolve. We make our plans. We believe we are determining our future. But then, God breaks in. God shows us a sign on a road or in a dream. God asks us to walk towards people and communities it would be easier to walk away from. Because the circumstances present challenges that seem impossible to overcome.