The Experience of Being Vulnerable

It was still dark at 6:15am. The air was cool and damp. We stepped off the bus and joined the small circle, listening into the conversation. We didn't speak either language (Romanian or Bulgarian). We waited for our friend Cristi to translate for us. He found a taxi driver that would take us to the bus station so we could then take another bus to Sofia (a city in Bulgaria). Scott had tried to get some Bulgarian currency so we could pay for our bus tickets (they don't take credit cards), but the ATM we found on the quiet street that morning was not working. The taxi driver told Cristi that he knew of a "non-stop" (open 24 hours) exchange house that he could take us to. This idea really didn't sit well with me. As we put our bags into the trunk of the car, I asked God to protect us. As we were driving around the dark, quiet streets I simply continued to pray, "God protect us." The driver parked the car on the street corner and he and Scott got out of the car heading to the "non-stop" exchange house. Scott spotted an ATM machine on the corner where the driver had parked the car. He boldly told the driver that he was going to try the ATM machine first - Success - it worked - Praise God! He got what we needed and got back into the car. The bus station was just a short trip from the ATM. We found the bus, boarded it, and thanked God for His protection and provision.

For the past month we have experienced the uncomfortable feeling of being vulnerable to total strangers. God has been so faithful to remind me that He is fully aware of those "strangers" and that, "The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name." - Psalm 91:14 (NLT). I don't know about you, but I want to simply take Him at His word and believe that He is going to rescue me and protect me as I love Him and trust in His name. After all isn't that what a loving Father does - His primary focus being the well-being of his child? As Christians our loving heavenly Father wants to do just that and so much more. Let's try harder to believe in His perfect love for us - to rest in His knowledge of all things.

A side note - Think about the location of the ATM machine being on the exact corner in which the taxi driver had parked the taxi. Think about my uneasiness about the "non-stop" exchange house, and think about the ATM working and providing the money we needed to get to Sofia. Conclusion: God is in all things - God knows all things - God provides all things - God is worthy of our trust.