Thankful for God's Divine Timing

God allowed me to have peace in coming back to the States after contemplating elongating my 2-month stay in Thailand only to have me be in the house while Tornadoes touched down.  Three days after returning from Thailand--in less time it takes to watch a 30-minute show--a set of Tornadoes ransacked my neighborhood and left behind extensive damage.

Some might say it was bad timing...I say it was God's divine timing.

Quick back-story: I was not able to go on a 6-month mission trip to Zambia, Africa that would have had me *still* out-of-the country when that storm hit.  On paper, there was no reason why I should not have been able to go EXCEPT the potential Mission Organization was switching to a new system that unfortunately had my 3rd reference letter fall through the cracks during the migration.  They felt that the time to receive the misplaced reference letter again AND to finish processing the other paperwork & funds for the trip would not meet the quickly then-approaching deadline.  Ohhhh, how sick to my stomach I felt to hear that, "Sorry, but..." conversation.  I was initially THE MOST excited about THIS mission trip than any of the trips I had planned!  And why wouldn’t I be excited?  It was a really GREAT deal: ~$1830 USD for room/board/water/transportation/activities/learn & study the Bible/wrap-up party at the end for 6 MONTHS (less flights, travel & medical insurance, and any immunizations)!  That is a STEAL of a price for a mission trip that long!  IYKYK!  So, I was sooo distraught to get the news and had to go against my normal way of dealing with things by pushing through the hardship until I got to the prize.  I cried out to God in my disappointment.  I yelled at Him and questioned why He was not allowing me to go on that mission trip.  It was a great deal; I would be studying the Bible; there was a wrap up celebration with multiple other missional organizations at the conclusion--why God?  Why would You block this for me?  I even challenged Him and reminded Him–like He forgot– that I left my cush corporate America career (that HE blessed me with, by-the-way) to go share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and work for Him!?!  Why would God block that???  But finally, with tears streaming down my face and a broken heart, I resolved that I HAD to relinquish my will for His and truly trust that He knew something I didn't to let this NO be final.  THAT WAS SOOO HARD FOR ME TO DO. 

Until...3 days after I got back from Thailand.

THEN, I UNDERSTOOD THE WHY! 

• 
  HE KNEW THIS STORM WAS COMING. 
• HE KNEW I WOULD NEED TO NOT EXTEND MY VISA IN THAILAND WHILE I WAS THINKING IF I SHOULD OR NOT. 
• HE KNEW I NEEDED TO BE BACK HOME TO TEND TO THE STORM'S DAMAGE IMMEDIATELY. 
• HE EVEN KNEW THAT FOR THE ~1.5 MONTH AFTER THE STORM HIT, HE KEPT THAT TIME FREE OF MISSION TRIPS NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRIED TO FILL THAT GAP IN BECAUSE HE KNEW I NEEDED THAT TIME TO GET MY HOUSE MOSTLY SQUARED AWAY.   
• HE KNEW THAT IF I HAD GONE ON THAT 6-MONTH MISSION TRIP, I WOULD HAVE STILL BEEN OUT-OF-THE-COUNTRY FOR ANOTHER ~3 MONTHS. 
• HE KNEW MY HOUSE AND ALL THAT WAS IN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY RUINED. 
• HE KNEW ALL OF THAT, THEN AND THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE “NO”...NOT A DELAY AND CERTAINLY NOT A YES, BUT A SOLID NO. 

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD?!?  🙌✝️👏🙏🥰🌄🌱

Do you know HOW humbled, loved, special, chosen, trusted, and privileged I felt? 

Wowwww...God trusted me with this changed lifestyle to follow Him blindly wherever He said to and I was again moved to tears by His overwhelming love for me to care about me in such a personal way. 

Listen to me when I say that it was not easy--lol, truth be told, it still isn't at times--but it certainly is worth it.  Whenever I feel anxious thoughts try to cloud my faith space, I force myself to remember when God said NO for my good and remind myself that He knows best.  He has never failed me--man has failed me plenty of times...I have failed and even disappointed myself countless times--BUT GOD HAS NEVER FAILED ME, NEVER LEFT ME, AND SHALL NEVER FORSAKE ME. 

And I have these pictures to prove it…

To see the real-time experience unfold, feel free to check out my YouTube and social media posts of God’s divine timing.

#MissShanSpreads

#WhereAreYouInTheStory

#Jesus

#JesusChrist

#Missions

#3days

Copyright © 2026 Miss Shan Spreads, LLC. All Rights Reserved.