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Sermon Illustrations

About 20 years back, I had a dream of going to India as a missionary. I’d visited there several times and felt a calling to work with the South India Church of Christ Mission. I was especially close to a young preacher named Ragu. But that vision died when Susan and I got our request for Visa’s back and they were stamped “Cancelled.” You see, while our visas were sitting at the Consulate, Indira Gandhi was shot (in 1984). All Visas were disallowed. In fact, since that time, no western missionaries have been issued permanent Visas.

For me, that dream died. We moved to San Antonio … (and of course being here is like a dream in itself!) Then, when I wasn’t expecting it at all, God brought about the fulfillment of the original vision I’d had. I heard from Ragu that he was working with a retired Preacher from Australia named John Timms. I was amazed to realize this was a man I had met years ago when I made a trip to Australia as a college student.

As it turned out I’m able to be a forwarding agent for Ragu and others I had dreamed of serving with so many years back. That’s just the way God works. And when God brings a dream to fulfillment, it’s going to be better than anything we could have planned ourselves.