Prophetic Words of Wisdom

It's amazing how life never quite pans out the way I want it to. As I was preparing to graduate from college, I was very confident of my future plans to return to Bangladesh. In my head, I had all the details clearly mapped out - the only obstacle standing between me and my perfect plan was the debt I incurred during college. If I could have, I would have jumped at the first opportunity to go to Bangladesh, knowing that with my diploma in hand, I was ready for any challenge. Now, a few years older and wiser, I don't think I would have lasted very long had that opportunity arose. In reflecting over the past few years, I would have to say that I have received a different sort of education. An education where the Holy Spirit has been my teacher, the Word my text book, and life my classroom. If anyone would have asked me five years ago where I would be now, I would never have placed myself in this current setting. In fact, if I would have been able to see just a glimpse of the future, I probably would have considered myself to be a borderline heretic. It seems as though I've gone through one paradigm shift after the next (each one a little further from my Pentecostal roots), and I think I'm really just beginning to understand who God is, and who I am in God - two very important things to know before one travels half way around the world to live in a poverty stricken country. Realistically, I know that this education of sorts will take a lifetime to learn, so to believe that I will "know it all" before I go to Bangladesh would only be foolish. However, I am thankful that I have been able to gain such valuable knowledge surrounded by people of like faith and passion for God. I couldn't begin to imagine what living in Bangladesh would be like without the knowledge that I've gained - kind of scary like the people living in the Matrix who have no clue about the "real" world. I guess what spurred all this on was an email that I reread from January 2001. I don't think my friend knew how "prophetic" her words were at that time.

I keep praying for your next move after graduation. Don't move fast even
though you feel an urgency to get to Bangladesh and start fulfilling your
call. Getting ready is part of the "call". What you learn after you leave
college in the next few years, will be most important and necessary
preparation for your move to Bangladesh. I pray you will move slowly and in
the will of God.