Being a fool so God can be King

Before I left for Thailand, I was conscious that God has specific reasons for this trip, specific things He wants to do in my life, specific ways He wants to lead me.

I was also conscious that I could get in the way of what God wants to do by letting pride in my abilities or giftings take attention away from God. It would be so easy to receive the accolades and fall prey to the false belief that it's somehow all about me.

Such a danger, pride. So sneaky and destructive.

As I prayed with a good friend before I left, she was impressed with a picture of me carrying 2 flags. One flag represented my achievements and giftings. The other represented God. And she prayed that I would raise high the flag representing God, that I would point others to Him no matter how much they may try to lift the arm holding the flag of 'my' strengths. She prayed that every compliment, every piece of attention, would be redirected back to God, because He alone is worthy.

It's so easy to idolize things
(wealth, education, achievements)
when really God should be the
only One on the throne.
A Hindu altar in the mall in Chiang Mai --->

So that was the prayer I came here with, and I told God, "Dad, I don't want to miss anything you want to do through, in and around me this week. I'd rather look like a fool than miss out on anything from You. Keep me humble."

God loves to answer prayers like that! Be ready if you pray something similar. This is how God answered my prayer:

Day 1, getting ready for the first sessions of the first day...I blew out the fuses in my room trying to run my hair dryer on the wrong voltage. Duh! The hotel engineer had to come to get the lights turned back on.

A few minutes later, down in the dining room, I spilled coffee down the front of my WHITE trousers just minutes before the meetings started. No time to change or clean it up.

After lunch, I managed to lock myself out of my hotel room. By the time the engineer came (AGAIN!), I was 15 minutes late for the afternoon session and looked like a tardy school girl.


Yes, God answered my prayers...kept me humble by helping me gently look like a fool, not only in front of my CRIT colleagues, but also in front of the hotel employees! I'm sure the people at the front desk are saying, "That lady in room 636...ai yai yai. She's going to give us headache!"



<--- At least I didn't have to wear one of these t-shirts that they sell at the night market for God to get His point across!



No, it's not easy when God actually responds to those kinds of prayers, but I appreciate His faithfulness because it protects me. It keeps me in the place where I can't raise my own flag, because mine is impractical, clumsy, coffee-stained and late.

But God's flag is elegant, white and always timely.

May He keep me focused on Him, may He give me the grace to raise His flag high, and may He be glorified in every minute, because He, alone, is worthy.