Jackie's Journey "The Journey Goes On..."

Today is our Wedding Anniversary!  Marriage has been the proving ground for developing our loyalty to God.  My parents were married 72 years, so 58 years does not seem long. Time does not hold still!  “How completely satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God who has none.  Eternal years lie in His heart.  For Him time does not pass, it remains; and those who are in Christ share with Him all the riches of limitless time and endless years.  God never hurries.  There are no deadlines against which He must work.  Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.  For those out of Christ, time is a devouring beast!”  A.W.Tozer

“Faithful is He who calls you, who will also do it”.

I Thessalonians 5: 24

 How many years have you been married? 

 I met my Prince at the University and if you were to ask our college friends, they would be astounded that we are celebrating 58 years together. Most did not give us two years!  Ralph and I are polar opposites in almost every way.  However, we had the one element in marriage that will guarantee longevity…we were both individually committed to “burn out” serving God wherever He led us. My husband’s godly zeal and spiritual leadership in our home has been preeminent and a constant for all these years! 

 I have been blessed with a man who has loved me unconditionally and when he said “for better or worse” he meant it.  We have weathered the storms of life with near death experiences  with long recovery times, more than once, and his loyalty to God and me is notable.  Ralph and I continue to learn and grow together.  Choosing to live in deference has been imperative and key to our taking our two strong wills and finding harmony in God’s will.

 Ralph’s name means “bold counselor” and that he is! He is, also, a man of motion and direction.  He was once told he is an” afflicter of the comfortable and a comfort to the afflicted!”  I could write a book with all his wise one-liners, biblical formulas and scriptural definitions.  His capacity to see things in Scripture and interpret them from the inside out to give a total new look to a familiar verse is uncanny! 

 We were told in our early married life regarding missions that Christian missionaries are people whose passion is to make the Lord Jesus known to the whole world.  They are completely under the command of King Jesus (Ralph often rolls out of bed, stands at attention and salutes heavenward, committing his day!), and they will go anywhere, under any circumstances, for no pay, with poor living conditions and food, even though no one ever notices.  They know their Sovereign God is watching every minute, and that is the only reward and joy they seek…a true missionary is someone who will risk everything for the sake of the lost of this world…this is my husband!

 We have a precious heritage that is a loving reminder of our responsibility

 into the third and fourth generations.

We are convinced that He takes the weak and confounds the mighty.  We are proof of this truth and His faithfulness…I Corinthians 2:1-2 speaks my heart, like Paul’s, when he says, “…I did not come to you with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  I came to you in weakness and fear and with much trembling. My message was not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but God’s power”.

 The chief value of an anniversary is to call us to greater faithfulness in the time that is left.  If we had these 58 years to do over again, we would like to serve more… and better, as we were bought with the price of His blood.  Romans 6: 16-18 says, “We were slaves of sin and now are slaves of righteousness”.   We work daily on being better slaves!

 Have you found your marriage to be a proving ground

for your faithfulness to God?

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Outlandish Otter Antics!"

Jungle  living was a lot of work.  The daily routine, just to live,  often became humdrum and after removing the clothes from the clothesline for the second or third time because of thundering rain… even dreary!  At times, it was tedious and monotonous.  

 One day, our partner’s second son, David, came up the bank with a playful river otter in tow.  He had been fishing and this roly-poly little bundle of hyperactivity followed him home! That  delightful creature found joy in life by just being in David’s presence.  He was attention-grabbing and outlandishly  fascinating every waking minute.  He made even his mundane chores a delight.   

 We watched him conquer the fear of water and take on any difficult activity and turn it into  a lively pursuit.  He entertained us all for hours. His carefree, light-hearted attitude began to speak to my rotten heart!  Joy is not the absence of trouble and inconvenience but the presence of Christ and His fullness.   Joy is the the component that, when added to a trial, provides the strength to endure it.

 Had I forgotten that “in His presence is the fullness of joy; and at His right hand there are pleasures for evermore?” Psa. 16; 11  The rewards of joy are physical, psychological and spiritual.  Joy is contagious and I was catching the little otter’s enthusiasm!  Joy is our brightness because “a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance.” Proverbs 15:13  It does good like medicine.” Proverbs 17: 22  Joy is the reward of giving love away.  “The joy of the Lord is our strength!”Neh. 8: 10  Joy is the reward of giving love away!

 “Who among us can be counted on for happiness?   It is those who never take  self into consideration.” Amy Carmichael  JOY HAS NO VALUE UNTIL IT IS GIVEN AWAY.  The person who gives joy away becomes richer.  Joy can be expressed in as simple as  a genuine smile from a joyful heart.

 Do people see a bright countenance when they look at you?

Are you reflecting  gratefulness with your attitude

toward other’s, your children and family?

If the Word is dwelling richly in you,

and your fellowship with Him is whole-hearted …

your spirit will be joyful.

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Fact or Fiction?"

We are confounded with everyone’s opinion.  We cannot escape it!  Everyone has to have a voice. People fight for their opinions.  “Opinions cannot survive if one has no chance to fight for them.” Thomas Mann   Differences of opinion separate families, friends and divide churches.  You can have a low opinion, an informed opinion, a “contrary to popular belief” opinion, a high opinion, a general opinion, an expert opinion, to mention a few.  In truth, there is nothing so short-lived as an opinion without a personal biblical conviction. 

 The Atheist says “There is no God”

The Agnostic says “There might be a God”

The Humanist says “Let’s remove God”

Pornography says:  “Sex is God”

Greed says “Money is God”

Pride says “Power is God”

Satan says “Be your own God”

 “The tongue with its opinions can be a beautiful angel or a hideous demon. It can be honey or vinegar.  The tongue can be pure or vile. The tongue can caress or cut. It can rouse men to act as well as it can subdue their emotions.  A false whisper can infuriate a nation, but the power of eloquence can quell the fury of a multitude.  A word of anger can wound while a word of kindness can heal.  Words of hate can kill and words of love can revive.”

 God says: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”. Proverbs 18: 21

 One day opinions will flee and at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess who the REAL, TRUE God is! Romans 14: 11  “The unattended garden will soon be overrun with weeds; the heart that fails to cultivate truth and root out error will shortly be a theological wilderness!” A.W.Tozer

 Do you want to put order back in your life and understand our current world events? Whether a mom, college student, young married person, grandma, or whatever your current station in life…we would do well to remember what God says.  It is His opinion only that counts!  “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations ;I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46: 10

 Find Him and His opinion and what He thinks about everything in the Bible…

Reading required…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Evil's Evolution!"

If I asked you to define the word “EVIL”, what would you say?

Our world, as we know it, is turned upside  down!  The world I grew up in respected God, country and family.  We stood when the American Flag was raised, we started our classes saluting that flag and bowed our heads in prayer before we sat down to study. We respected our elders and stood when they entered the room and offered them our seat.  We were taught to love our siblings, to speak to people so they knew they had value.  We shook stranger’s hands and looked each other in the eye.  We expected truth, not lies.  Integrity was a behavior to be valued.

Right and wrong were easy to discern and making the right choice brought benefit and wrong choices came with instant consequence.  It was easy…the rules to a life of harmony were attainable.  Today, the lines are so blurred, our young people prickle and call it prude!  Having had little experience with living outside unkindness and inconsideration, the entitled young people are bogged down with “gimme mine” instead of “how can we make this work”.  What is wicked, sinful, malicious and immoral are all neglected terms with little or no relevance to life.

It has been coming for a long time and compromise of truth has found its foothold in our worldview.  It used to be we could see it plainly and we just “kept in our lane” and hoped for the best for those around us.  Our hope rested in the final “Word” …what did God think about this?”  The Word decided it…God said it…I believe it…That settles it!” Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read!

I read this this week and it resonated with precise certainty. 

First we overlook EVIL;

 then we permit EVIL;

 then we legalize EVIL;

then we promote EVIL;

then we celebrate EVIL!

Our Warning: “Woe to you who call EVIL good and good EVIL”.  Isaiah 5: 30

 The sequence of our demise is so obvious.  What part each of us has played with our compromising life styles, remains to be seen, but the end result is undeniable.

The last stage of EVIL is… then we persecute those who still call it EVIL!

“He did EVIL because he did not set his heart on seeking God.”  II Chron. 12: 14

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Obstacle or Opportunity?"

We are ending the month of July 2023…half of this year…already GONE!  The world is facing a countdown on a the fast track, with multiple obstacles from which no one is exempt!   On a National, State and Local level we have been,  and  are being forced to face new challenges.  Some tests are big, but none bigger than God’s drive through these encounters to see our lives changed…

 As women of faith, we face the ultimate challenge of practicing, sharing, and comforting those around us who are struggling with how to handle it all.  Abraham’s life demonstrated that even the heathen around him recognized the difference between how he lived and those observing him. (Gen. 21:22)  Abimelech spoke to Abraham saying, “God is with you in all you do”!  God told Gideon, “There is a might in you so powerful it can save Israel and that might is MY PRESENCE!”

 The Isaiah 43: 1-5 verses confirm that when God’s presence abides on us, we can go through any fire, pass through any waters, through rivers that overflow us (Pucuro, in the Darien jungle!) and know His presence is all we need abiding in us.  We are responsible to choose to “practice His  presence”.  As we do this, God will guide our steps, open doors of ministry, move obstacles, lift cares, remove fears and abide in us!

 “Fear not for I am with you” is the promise and comfort

we all need to combat the steady barrage of lies and chaos.

 God’s abiding presence brings peace and triumph.  The manifestation of the Spirit-controlled  life…directed and trusting only God…is key to laying hold of the power of God.  It is NOT, God  plus whatever makes me comfortable or is  convenient, BUT only God, plus nothing.

God  attaches a condition to  having His presence in our lives.

Do you know what it is?

We know it is useless to attempt any endeavor apart from  Him… which can only be maintained in our lives, as  we  choose to confess sin and not allow  any unresolved relationship to hinder it!

“God works through holiness,  not a dirty cup!”

Roy Heisson  Calvary Road

 When the Israelites were in the wilderness, God manifested His presence to them in a cloud.  This cloud was a pledge.  They never had to figure out their direction or future because their confidence was in that visible cloud of God’s protection.  Today, the cloud of God’s presence hovers over our secret closet of communion with Him through His Word and prayer.

 Peace is the prize and it will lead us, empower us, and keep us in God’s rest in every area of our lives, regardless of the confusion and disorder around us. “The continual pursuit of God’s presence will direct us into a revelation of Christ’s glory.  God’s presence will go with us and He will give us rest.” (Exodus 33: 13)

 Our guide through this maze is waiting to give us peace and rest…

 Are you ready??

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Who is God to You?"

This was too good not to re-print…many of you saw it on Instagram, I’m sure.  It bottom lines the miscalculation of what people think about God and how important it is to boldly step out identifying the One True God…

·      The Atheist says: “There is no God”

·      The Agnostic says: “There might be a God”

·      The Humanist says: “Let’s remove God”

·      Pornography says: “Sex is God”

·      Greed says: “Money is God”

·      The Proud say: “Power is God”

·       Satan says: “Be your own god!”

 The witchdoctor in our village in the Darien jungle had a basketful of wooden false gods.  He was very powerful and yet, he laid down those idols to be burned the day he came to know the only true God, as his Savior.  We didn’t have to go to a foreign heathen land to find false gods. America is full of them. One day opinions will flee, knees will bow and tongues will confess who the REAL GOD is!

 “The worship of the false gods (listed above) in any form is Idolatry. “ That means anyone or anything that you love more than the one true God is officially your idol!  “Man  is certainly stark mad; he cannot make a worm and yet, he will make gods in his life by the dozens.” Michel de Montaigne  When we define an idol in our life, we have moved from submission to Almighty God to succumbing to the lie of another…Satan, the false god.

 “The intentional purpose of life is not to find your freedom, but your master”… P.T.Forsyth

 Which one of these is your master?

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Regrets?"

Many years ago, I read “Tortured for Christ” by Rev. Richard Wurmbrand.  It profoundly challenged me to purpose to follow Christ and cheerfully ‘count the cost’.  Over the years of service as a missionary, I was sometimes characterized, as ‘out of sync’ with the world, foolish (by the worlds standards), wasting my time in the jungles, robber of a “normal” upbringing for my two daughters, suffering needlessly with no running water or electricity (the world clamors for comfort and convenience), etc.…

 Yet, to this very day, I hold the awesome privilege of being a part of a very few who have lived without regret, counting the cost, determined to burn out serving and pleasing my God, first and foremost.  The life that comes from a vibrant, functioning God-consciousness in turbulent times is a tribute to the reality of the value of counting the cost, which could and usually does, include…suffering.

 “Suffering may help one to arrive at truth. ‘Tears, tears, bitter hulls but with such a sweet kernel,’ wrote the much-persecuted Romanian Christian poet, Traian Dorz.  Most people have an unjustified phobia against suffering. Unnecessary tragedy should be avoided, but we should also realize that there is much good in suffering. 

 Milton wrote his finest poetry after he became blind.  Beethoven composed his most beautiful music only after he became deaf.  The German philosopher Kant, who suffered from an incurable sickness wrote, ‘I have become master of its influence on my thoughts and actions by turning my attention away from this feeling altogether, just as if it did not at all concern me…’

 Solzhenitsyn wrote, ‘Blessed be thou, prison.’ The seven years in a Soviet prison made him the most powerful opponent of communism.  Richard Wurmbrand said about himself, ‘My 14 years in communist prisons were the most fruitful of my life.’ He knew of no great character formed apart from suffering. 

 A world without suffering would consist of weaklings.  What kind of love endures without painful sacrifice?  He who counts the sufferings involved will never be a daring hero.  Jesus made himself perfect through suffering. (Heb. 2:10) When Pope Alexander VI criticized by Savonarola for his unworthy life, offered him the position of cardinal in order to keep him silent, Savonarola answered, ‘May God keep me from being unfaithful to Him.  I do not desire any other red cape than the crown of a martyr colored with my own blood.’

 The highest state of a Christian is to be Christ-like.  Christ was called a ‘Man of Sorrows’ (Isa. 53: 3) and ‘the lamb slain from the foundation of the world’ (Rev. 13: 8) To be a Christian means to become a co-sufferer with Christ.  The more of His pain we are ready to share, the more truth we will receive.

 Someday we will sit with Jesus Christ and the Father on the heavenly throne from which universes are administered. (Rev. 3: 21) Our merciful God ‘will wipe away every tear’ from the eyes of His saints, and all will be able to rejoice whole-heartedly (Rev. 7:17; 21:4)” written by Rev. Richard Wurmbrand (1909-2001)

Do you have any regrets?

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Life Unraveling!"

           “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in Him…Job 13:15”                              

Our village was tucked away near the Colombian border and we lived in the silence of the Darien jungle and its peculiar sounds.   One late morning there was an unfamiliar roar in the distance.  A large helicopter appeared and began circling our village, dropping low, looking for a place to land.  Before we knew what was happening, dust flew and the door slid open.  Men dressed in full military uniforms with machine guns jumped out and stormed into our house. Guns drawn, pointed directly at us, they began shouting commands with accusations!

 My life started unraveling before my eyes!  I quickly grabbed little Kim and Christina came running, clutching my legs. I reached down to reassure her, as Ralph stepped in front of us, whispering to me, “Remember, Jackie, this touched God’s hand first”. 

 We were being accused of being spies for the United States and they demanded we turn over our only means of communication to the outside world…our two-way radio!

I was trembling, imagining every plausible scenario of how we could be easily disposed of in the river and no one would know for months!  The truth that came surging into my consciousness was Job 13:15, “…though he slay me, yet will I hope in HIM”. 

 Still standing between the enemy and us, Ralph appeared calm and was responding in Spanish with an absolute, “We are not spies from America.  We have permission from your government to bring medicine to help this isolated group of people.” 

  How had this happened?  What could we do?

 The next few moments stood still…their shouting gestures and my seeing no way of escape brought the verse in Job home to my heart.  I resolutely accepted His will, whatever that was going to be and instantly, peace prevailed.  What happened next was beyond belief!  To our utter astonishment, as abruptly as those militant soldiers arrived…they hastily, mid-sentence, without another word, turned and left!!  They did not ask for our passports or visas, nor did they take our rifles that were in plain view, hanging on the wall!  God had blinded their eyes and in an instant, redirected their path.

 In the aftermath of my processing through this current event, Ralph gave me a definition for “tribulation” that comes to mind every time I am faced with a trial and I just want it gone…no processing…just gone!  “Tribulation is God’s fastest road to maturity”.  Well… missionary life had definitely put me in the fast lane to grow up!  The more life I live, the more I realize how much growth I need!

 This is that definition in a “mathematical” formula that changed my life and the way I look at trials, inconveniences, suffering and contentment.  It goes like this:

 Trials + Acceptance of the trial with joy and thanksgiving = Growth/Maturity

 I can respond to trials by:

(1 ) Benefitting from them - the pressure of trials produces James 1: 2-4: .

          Faith

         Patience

          Perseverance

         Maturity

          Wisdom

        Lacking Nothing!

                                                  OR

(2) Reacting to them and locking down emotionally with:  Impatience, Fretfulness, Why me?, Depression, Complaining, Rebelliousness or bitterness…

 I choose to yield with gratefulness this morning

and to recognize any form of tribulation, as a means to create

a greater purpose for the benefit of others. 

  What is your response? 

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Living An Illusion?"

‘Take My yoke upon you and learn of me…!” Matt. 11:29

How would you describe your Christian walk?  Up and down, peaks and valleys?  Good days and bad days?   Would you characterize your spiritual life as vibrant and free or continually battling your self-life (your personal rights, depression, unresolved relationships, entitlement…)?   Are you living a “Christian illusion”?

 If you want to learn of me, put your head in the yoke!

What?!  No way!  Who does that?

       WHY, I’D HAVE TO GIVE UP MY FREEDOM AND SUBMIT

TO THE OTHER PERSON IN THE YOKE!    ARE YOU CRAZY???

  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and

                   I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn

                   from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you

                   will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and

                   my burden light”!    (Matt. 11:28-30)               

 The Church will instruct us

The Bible will inform us

Prayer will empower and direct us.

But only…The Yoke will teach us how to live

and respond “in the Spirit” to life situations on a continual basis.

 Ezekiel 37:1-6 is a lesson on a “valley of dry bones”.  What does that have to do with my spiritual walk, you ask?  Lots!  Spiritual deadness is a permeating and engulfing phenomenon in our culture, churches, homes and hearts.  It sort of swallows us up like a tsunami!  Biblical Christianity is defined by our consistent attitudes in life practice.

 We carry seeds of decay through disobedience and rebellion toward God (i.e. anger, jealousy, self-love…).  We have adopted patterns through wrong influences and teachings (friends, music, ungodly worldviews, Hollywood, social media...).  Maybe we have been a believer since we cannot remember BUT there are places where we really do NOT know our own need.  Our life has become an illusion of biblical Christianity.  There is a measure of self-confidence and pride built on our bones…

 God says, “I will make breath enter you and you will come to life”.  God works out of Death!   Death to self!  His desire is to breathe life into our dead bones, moment by moment.     No illusion here…

 An illusion is a lie; it is not real.  Disillusionment with our daily walk is a gift of God… a challenge to enter into the yoke with Him and His rest... learning from His gentle and humble heart.

 There are two yokes: 

    1) The yoke with Christ and righteous purposes

    2) The yoke with Satan and his kill, steal and destroy (life) purposes  (Jn.10:10)                  

We choose who is in the yoke with us with every choice we make!

My husband asked me if every choice I make is a spiritual one?  For the life of me, I could not think of a single one that is not!  Can you think of one that is not a deliberate choosing of one kingdom or the other? 

 By taking Christ’s yoke upon us, we yield our right to do as we please, and we learn the wishes and commands of Christ our leader.

 God is not nearly concerned with what we are going through as He is with our response to what we go through.  His chief concern is that our attitude becomes consistent with His Son.  The question is:  Who do you choose to be in the yoke with you today?   There are only two choices! 

 Choose wisely, young mothers, little ones are watching and stepping into the same yoke with you.

“ It was for freedom that Christ set us free:

therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again

to a yoke of slavery (law/sin).”   Galatians 5: 1

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Terror to Trust!"

“The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.”

Psa. 142:11

My introduction to our new life in the village Pucuro was a “Shocker”.   My youngest daughter’s   disappearance from my arms in those first moments after arriving on the riverbank caused my entire being to experience sheer terror… my first anxiety attack!

 However…skipping that one-day would have been the loss of a life-lesson that changed my life!

 Missionary Boot Camp training had been deliberate in preparing me for this crisis.  My mind was reminded of the reason why we had come and the promise I had claimed two years prior to the moment I was living now!  “…Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease without fear of harm.”  The verse worked so well when we lived in the states!  Proverbs 1:33 is written by the “wisest” man that ever lived and it had always given me courage to keep on.

 Have you ever claimed a promise from God and then panicked when put to the test?

 Two men from our mission had contacted these unreached tribal people two years before.  The Kunas had asked for someone to come and bring them the medicine and help they needed to keep their babies from dying at birth.  Some of the mothers were weakened by tuberculosis.  There were multiple infections and parasites of every kind…would someone answer that call?

 Well…we answered…and they had taken my baby!

 My heart sank as I scanned the agitated crowd in the dimness of the dark night.  Certainly, no electricity here!  Pitch black, drenched bodies, dark faces, barking dogs, slushy mud path and no baby.  My heart pounding and unaware of my personal discomfort or how I must sound, I stood dripping wet in a downpour, screeching in a foreign tongue…calling into the wind for my lost child.

 Completely overwhelmed by my loss I saw someone slip out of the darkness and run in my direction.  Stretching over people she placed my tiny girl back into my waiting arms.  I now had both babies against my breast and I breathed a sigh of incomprehensible relief, whispering a prayer of gratefulness to my God who keeps His promises! 

 “He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those who walk blameless for He guards the course of the just and He protects the way of His faithful ones.” Proverbs 2:7,8

 Paul Little in “How to Give Away Your Faith”, wrote, “The statement that God is in control is either true or it’s not true.  But if it is true and we accept God’s revelation of Himself, our faith enables us to enjoy and rest in the certainty of His providence (will),” regardless of the circumstance!  I stood up and turned to face my new reality and walked through the door of my brand-new jungle life!

 It was good it was too dark to know who had inadvertently brought such distress to my spirit that night…but bless her, that same person had been used to quickly bring me to the throne of Grace for a thorough evaluation of my personal commitment to His “calling”! 

 Gratefully, as a young mother, I was given the opportunity very early to place my heritage in the hands of an all-knowing God.  He had again asked me to “count the cost”.  I stopped wanting to “skip” life-lessons and began embracing them. I claimed those powerful promises in the Word that had always been applied to others and now…were all mine!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.