God’s surprising plans

It doesn’t take much. After just a few millimetres of rain, the dirt roads that are crucial to life in the outback begin to turn slippery.

In many districts, local authorities close all the unsealed roads at the onset of rain in an effort to preserve the road surface from damage.

Roads can remain closed for several days, or longer. The transport of food, fuel and other supplies is disrupted and trips to town or between properties have to be postponed. And if the rain is unexpected, it is very easy for motorists to find themselves trapped, surrounded by closed roads.

These closures can have a significant impact on PIM patrol teams. Planned patrol routes quickly get changed as the teams seek alternate destinations in their patrol areas. This is simply a fact of life, and part of the flexibility required of those in patrol ministry.

As frustrating as road closures can be to a patrol team, we’ve noticed a very interesting phenomenon occurs during these times. An unexpected change of plans often sees the patrol team arrive somewhere unexpected, just in time to be used by God in an unforeseen way.

In one example, a patrol team had to make significant changes to their plans due to road closures. Their new plan saw them arrive at a property in time to minister to a troubled young man who was intent on ‘self-harm’. The presence of the PIM team had a positive impact on the situation, and served as a witness to the love of Jesus to many involved.

Please pray that God would continue to use our disrupted plans for His glory.