Lemuel co-founder, Ginger Muchmore wrote this beautiful perspective on Saturday's rain. May it encourage and challenge you...
Many of you have been following the terrible drought that hit not only the plateau where Manis and Judy live, but most of Haiti. Trees were drooping, crops were drying up, and animals were dying. Our own granddaughter has become “mother” to two orphaned animals, a donkey and a goat! Well, I want to share the rest of the story. A few days ago, Manis went off to a quiet place to pray and think. The entire community was looking to him. Already the drivers of the water trucks were working 16 hour days. The government closed everything in keeping with the world-wide response to Covid-19, so very few people were working. Famine was a looming threat. He began to talk to the Lord. Confident that God had called him to this ministry in this place, He asked the Lord what he should do. As he sat quietly before the Lord, images of past hardships in the ministry came to mind. God brought back to his mind the fact that whenever times got dark, that was the time that He was going to do something. Times were definitely dark. What was God going to do? Armed with his confidence in a powerful God who controls all things, he called 7 of his workers and told them to come with him to one of the gardens to plant “pitimi” (sorghum). They looked at him, then at each other…. shrugged and started for the garden. As Manis and the guys began to plant, drivers on motorcycles passing by stopped to look at the “crazy boss." Who plants pititmi in a drought? For the plant to grow and the kernels to form, there has to be water! They finished late into the evening. Manis gave them some food. As they were eating he told them some of the early days of the ministry. “One thing I learned,” he told them, “When things get really dark, God is about to speak.” They had a Bible study and prayed. Around noon the next day, a small cloud formed in the sky. “Is this how You are going to show your glory?" he asked the Lord. “Will You indeed water the garden?” Around 1:00 pm, the rain came! It came to the Plateau, and it came to the mountains. Manis grabbed one of the guys who had planted with him and drove to the garden. Water was rushing down the mountain, into the canals, watering the newly planted garden. They drove back to the property to find some of the freshly enlarged water holes overflowing with life-giving water. We here in America, are facing COVID-19. Many people are sticking close to home, fearful of this unknown virus. We could say that we too are facing dark times. But I wonder, have we asked God what it is He wants us to do during this time? Have we ceased to make plans because we don’t know what the future holds? Have we asked God what He would have us do to encourage those who are struggling with discouragement and anxiety? Do we believe that our God is an awesome God … and that when things get dark He is about to speak. Do we believe that God will send the rain to water the garden that has been planted in the dust? Everyone was excited when the rain came…. but none were as excited as those who planted the seed in the drought. Let’s be about “planting” for our Lord so that when the “rain” comes, we can shout with joy. Let’s replace fear with faith, discouragement with determination, and excuses with exuberance. Isaiah 43:19 says, “ I am doing something new; it's springing up - can't you see it? I am making a road in the desert, rivers in the wasteland.” Thank you for your prayers for the Plateau. Please continue to pray for rain to fill the rest of the water holes.
Happy “planting”! Ginger