When God Winks at You

Yes I'm stealing the title of this blog from a book by Squire Rushnell but with the past couple of days I've had I think it's very appropriate.  I think the Lord was telling me to blog again.  It's something I wish I would do more often because often when I do write it's something that God has laid on my heart.  I'm not saying I'm inspired like the writers of the Bible or anything like that, but it helps to get the dialogue between  God and me out in the open.  The lack of inspiration for these is all my fault and not his, so I'm hoping I can refocus and changed that.

Back to God winking at you, you know those little things that some would call a coincidence, but you know that it was to perfect to be anything but the Creator give you an encouraging nod.  Wednesday was full of those for me.  Actually going back to even a few weeks before the 2011 Friends Forever Missions trip to Jamaica I was getting quite a few of them I chose to ignore.

I would be driving around my hometown and look out the window to see kids who looked exactly like some of my friends I had met at Grants Basic school playing in yards.  Now before you accuse me of saying that all black people look the same, don't shake your head I know at least half of the people reading this are thinking that, it wasn't "oh look at the little black kids playing in their yard he kinda looks like a kid I know in Jamaica."  No, it was more like, "Wow that looks exactly like my friend Omar Warren from Grants Basic School."  It wasn't just a resemblance this kid looked just like Omar, it was to the point I wanted to yell "Omar!", just to see if he would turn around.  Well flash forward and few weeks and as I walk up that ramp leading into the school house, and I meet Omar's older brother.

It doesn't stop there though, once I'm home the signs just keep adding up.  I read biographies of some of my favorite musicians, Johnny Cash, Keith Richards, and Paul McCartney and all three had parts in the book about them spending time in Jamaica, especially Cash.  So anytime I hear the Beatles or the Stones my mind will always drift down to Montego Bay.  Every time I see beef patties in stock at Food Lion or Walmart  I have to pick up a pack.  I have a Jamaican flag hanging in my garage so I start and end every trip I go thinking about my Jamaican friends.  Now these examples may seem like no big deal, even like I'm forcing it.  Almost like when you pick out the car you want to buy you think  no one else has one until you're driving around in it and suddenly you see that car everywhere.

Then Wednesday morning I have to run an early errand at Wal-Mart when the lady ringing me up is named Pearline.  Well there are two Mrs. Pearls that I have come to love in Montego Bay Jamaica, one is the principal of the school I love so dearly, and the other is a lady I call the Judy Dale of Jamaica (because just a few seconds after walking into Norwood Full Gospel Church she made me feel right at home, as Judy Dale does in Clayton) Mrs. Pearline Haughton.  I dismissed this as a cool coincidence and not even a mile past the stop light I see a guy walking in the median with a back bag that has the Jamaican flag on it.  I get home and my dog wants to play with a soccer ball, the only time I touch one of those is when I'm in Jamaica, and some how with all the baseballs around the house the dog wants to play "futball".  Again this may just be a small thing but it keeps my mind focused on an area that Jesus Christ has called me to.

I think we all have a place like that.  If you haven't discovered yours yet I urge you to pray and search until you find.  As Dr. Mark, the fearless leader of the Friends Forever Ministries, often says missions is not a trip it's a life style.  I'm starting to see that more and more.  It's not just things Jamaica that come to my mind now, it's other international ambassadors I've had the privilege to travel with.  When I check a Yankees score I think of the awesome Scruggs family I've had the honor to serve beside and learn from.  When I hear I may have some work coming up in Charlotte I thought to myself that's where Brittani lives.  When I saw the president on tv tonight I thought of the president of the D.C. crew, Mr. Brian Citizen.  I can't watch an Atlanta Braves highlight without thinking of Susana Chanis.  I saw a guy cutting grass earlier this week who looked just like Josh Porter, okay that one may be because the guy was a brother, but it was more about the hat he was wearing (if you've seen Josh's hat you know what I'm talking about).  I guess this is just a thank you to all you I have ever travelled with and a thank you Lord for all the great people I've meet while serving you.  Keep winking and I'll keep writing.

This has nothing to do with the blog but I'm going to try to start doing the twitter thing so if you're a tweeter follow me at JBatten13.