MOVING ON IS NOT ALWAYS EASY

Intentional Next Steps

“TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT ON OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING; IN ALL YOUR WAYS SUBMIT TO HIM AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT.” Proverbs 3:6

In 1995, after 13 years in the Philippines, we felt God was asking Jim (my husband) to take the Mission’s Professor and Director position at LU. We realized this would be a good next step in multiplying ourselves and God’s Kingdom for the nations. Yet this would not be an easy next move. The Philippines had become home for us!  

Let me backtrack, we had been back in the States for Home Ministry for a good one year already. We visited each of our partner churches and individuals, reporting to them the good work God was doing in the Philippines. Reestablishing these relationships with our partners was special.

The kids experienced formal school during our home assignment for the first time since leaving the Philippines where we home-schooled them. God had provided a beautiful old bed and breakfast home on a cow and corn farm in Lancaster, PA, that had been converted into an apartment for us to live in for the year. Many memories were made. Our children learned to skate, ride bikes, and had lots of experiences of life in the USA. It was a fun and replenishing year squeezing in all we could with family and friends, thinking all the time we would be returning to the Philippines soon for another 4 more years. Only to find out God would be prompting us toward a different direction.


“God are you calling us back to the States?” Like Samson in the Bible, we at first ignored these promptings. “Surely God wouldn’t be calling us back. There is still work to be done in the Philippines.” Again, “God are you really (3x) calling us back to the States? Lord, the US is a nice place to visit but we don’t want to live here.”

At the time LU had no Missions Director. The alumni of the school were saying to the Chancellor., “Jerry, missions is too important, get a Missions Director!”  It had been two years since they had one and the school was then pushing hard to find one, when in walked Jim.   

The local churches across America, it seemed at the time, were becoming more apathetic towards missions, too. Churches were looking at the 10/40 window more as well. The area we lived and worked in the Philippines was considered just outside the line. This caused many of our partners to shift focus in their support strategies. We had difficulty raising the extra needed support before going back to the Philippines. Some were even dropping us as financial partners. Yet they loved us and even asked Jim to come back and preach, confirming that relationship.  

Jim’s passion for mission and love of and desire to see the next generation follow the Great Commission increased. One could see his passion, through his stately presentations as he preached and talked to people. It was evident God was doing something in Jim and God’s church was responding, but no extra support. 

Our home church called us and didn’t ask for Jim, the pastor asked for me! The pastor spent almost an hour on the phone with me, shepherding my heart on what God might be doing through Jim and in us. He didn’t know all that God was doing, he only knew that his church had been praying for almost two months.  

“You and Jim have been weighing heavy on our hearts even before I knew of your invitation to LU so I had to call you because as a wife this can be hard. I want you to know how we are praying that God will confirm His leading by either giving you the financial partners you need through churches and/or individuals or not, to show you two His direction for staying in the Philippines or taking this position.”

He knew God had his hand on us.  He understood our hearts, but especially Jim’s for loyalty to God’s call on our lives, knowing we wouldn’t leave the Philippines without God really confirming it.

Wow! When my pastor spoke to me it all fell into place. He was ministering to my soul as if from God Himself. I knew I better keep my heart wide open to God’s leading no matter how painful. It was important to Jim and me both to hear from God together as we went forward. God had sent this pastor to shed wisdom and shepherd me along the process. God was truly going before us.

We talked to our team in Asia and they all confirmed, too. They didn’t want to see us go but realized the writing was on the wall, so to speak, and saw God’s hand. They were willing to release us to follow God’s will if we thought this was of God too. Their thoughtful words of wisdom also were a big piece in the puzzle of helping us make the decision of whether or not to take this position.

We ended up saying YES but it still wasn’t easy. As we looked back over the year, God was gracious to direct our path. In the middle however, it wasn’t so clear.  We loved the Filipinos, our team and the place. God had been faithful in leading and we knew now that God would be with us. We would miss it all but to say NO to Liberty would be disobedience, so we stepped out in Faith and said YES.

Even as I write this I am reminded of God’s faithfulness in hindsight to walk with us. He patiently confirmed each step and held our hands even when it hurt. Our time at LU for the next 5 years proved to be a vital step in the puzzle of what God had used even up today in both of our lives. Here are just a few:

We had learned a whole new people group, STUDENTS.  Many students from these years today we call close friends. They serve all over the world on mission for Jesus.      

NGLC: The Next Gen Leaders Conference in 2003 was started and ongoing until now because we saw the need to aid younger leaders hurting and needing encouragement to stay engaged in the battle  to advance the Gospel. This need includes providing mentors, resources and peers to journey along in life, letting them know they are not alone. Something we wished we had  intentionally been given when we were younger in ministry. Many of you have benefited from this.  Next year’s conference coming June 2018,  “Leadership and Prayer” www.nextgenleader.net  

One way we want to help is in the development of spiritual formation and sabbath rest as the younger generation learn to manage life’s fast growing technology. We want to win the world for Jesus and as II Timothy 2:2 says, train up faithful men and women who will go out and do likewise. Psalm 78,  God says, “tell of me to the next generation.” Today we count over 300 men and women as colleagues and co-laborers in ministry from over 26 countries and 24+ organizations, who we have gotten to know through our NGLC. This would never have happened had we not heeded the call to come back to the States back in 1995.

Jim and I both pursued degrees, his Doctorate from Western Seminary in Anthropology and Missiology , and I went on and received my Masters from Liberty in International Studies in Religion and Cross-Cultural Studies.

I ended up teaching too, at LU along with Jim. This gave me the opportunity to prepare and teach Women in Missions.  The process has allowed me to grow in articulating better all that God had discipled into my heart. Thus enabling me to fulfill my desire now to intentionally journey alongside others especially the next generation to help encourage them to move closer in their relationship with Jesus and discover their place in God’s Kingdom so that God may be worshipped among the nations.

All this has prepared us to lead three ministry organizations in the last 16 years at different times.  All these steps have also uncovered my desire to train, consult and coach others especially women on the journey of Mission and Faith. Giving me the desire to start writing my stories down and share them. I now have this blog www.sterlingoneill.com.

As the STORY continues…..  I am still awed as to how God works in spite of ourselves.  Proverbs 3:5,6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on our own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.”

As you ponder NEXT STEPS, of leaving one assignment and going onto the next how are you processing and walking?

Consider:

Cultivating times to sit at His feet and rest for awhile. Take refuge in Him. You may need to heal some. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…” Proverbs 3:5a

Cultivating a delight in Him in the dark moments as well as the times of light. Taking time to hear again His still small voice.  “…lean not in your own understanding but submitting to Him in all your ways.” Proverbs 3:5b-6a

Cultivating intentional times to sit in the counsel of wise people. Who can God use to help you process and shed light on the situation?

Cultivating intentionality by looking for those God moments.  What ways are you gaining wisdom along the way or seeing God at work?  “…and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:6b

Do not rush the process…God is orchestrating your Story!  

Personal Reflection: What next step is God calling you to, that you find difficult to decide on? What makes it hard? As you think through where you are right now, in what ways can Proverbs 3:5,6 encourage you? What ways do you see God confirming or not confirming your next steps? Who Can God use to help you process and shed light on the situation? What ways are you growing or gaining wisdom to help you hear God’s answer even if it is painful? Would love to hear your thoughts or a piece of your story in any way on this subject in the comment session of MOVING ON IS NOT ALWAYS EASY.

From One Pilgrim to another together on the journey

Consider how you may spur one another on towards love and good deeds….. encouraging one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

“ Intentionally journaling alongside of mission minded women in order to encourage them to see God in their story, moving them closer to Jesus, and to discover their place in God’s Kingdom so God will be worshipped among the nations” 

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