Majestic Moments #7: How Did I Get Here?

There’s no pattern to majestic moments. They happen at times of God’s own choosing. Sometimes they take place all at once; other times they occur over a period of time. On occasion the moment happens without a hitch; other times Satan does everything possible to prevent the moment from taking place.

In November 2009 God set in motion a majestic moment that didn’t take place until 10 months later. And in May 2010 Satan made an all-out effort to derail things. It all began when a friend asked me if I wanted to teach a class on spiritual gifts. Of course I did since that’s my ministry. Then she mentioned that the class was actually a seminary course. Hmm … I’d never taught at a seminary before, but it sounded exciting. Finally, my friend laid out the last condition. The seminary was in Russia.

Russia? I’d never been to Russia so I had mixed emotions. I was excited about going to a different country since I had loved my previous African trips. But I also was a little scared about being in a Communist nation, our former enemies, and home of the infamous KGB. My mind imagined bugged telephones and spies following me everywhere. So after hesitating a moment, I said, “Sure I’d love to go.”

I started preparing for my trip by securing the necessary visas, buying travel insurance, and upgrading my cell phone to an international package. Then, as requested, I developed a course syllabus and a 100-question final exam. The seminary would videotape the class for future classes on campus and online. I paid for my flight, room and board, and miscellaneous expenses and was glad to do it because the trip was a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

My hosts asked if I wanted to come in February or May. Hmm … snow and cold in February or sun and flowers in May. So I bought my plane tickets to leave in early May and return home at the end of the month. But the evil one had other plans as I was badly injured falling down a flight of steps outside a friend’s home. Among the injuries were a bulging disk, a bad case of sciatica, and a torn meniscus on the inside of my right knee. My leg was immobilized from my hip to my toes and I was taking a high dosage of pain medication. Obviously, I wasn’t going to Russia.

My body started healing over the summer and my Russian trip was re-scheduled for September. Just days after my daughter’s wedding I boarded a non-stop flight aboard Aeroflot, the national air carrier of Russia. I arrived in Moscow excited, but jet-lagged. I was supposed to be met at the airport, but no one greeted me when I exited customs. I sat in the airport for 3 hours until my host arrived explaining that his car had broken down. We went to the train station, bought a ticket for a sleeper car, and I boarded the train for an overnight trip to my destination – alone. Talk about an adventure!

At the seminary I was told that the class would be a series of 50 half-hour lessons. The seminary had a state-of-the-art TV studio and I taught in front of a live audience. For 2 weeks I taught 4 lessons each day and went back to my room for 8 hours of preparation for the next day’s videotaping. I was exhausted by the end of the course. Unexpectedly, I learned that the class was to be dubbed into 7 languages and sent all over the world. I had no idea that the lessons were to reach such a large audience. It was a God-moment.

I spent a final long weekend in Moscow doing all the things tourists do. After touring the Kremlin, my translator and I headed next door to Red Square. As a Boomer I grew up in the 60s and remember watching the annual parade in Red Square. While the Russian leaders stood on the Kremlin walls, soldiers marched, tanks roared, and missiles threatened. It was always a reminder that nuclear war could occur at any time. As I stood in the center of Red Square, and looked at all the sites, I was overwhelmed with gratitude to God. I remember thinking, “How did I get here – a retired school superintendent – standing in Red Square?” There is just one answer – only God!

This is the final post in this series. Before closing, I want to assure you that I am no one special in the Kingdom of God. I realize I’m special to God, but not special in the Church universal. If God can take someone like me and give me the adventures I’ve had, imagine what He can do in your life. And He will, if you ask Him and believe He will do it.

© 2011 Designed to Serve®