Brother Andrew, “God’s Smuggler,” would always pray a simple prayer when going through customs: “God, You Who can make blind eyes see, make seeing eyes blind.” That is ALWAYS my simple, powerful prayer when I travel and when I get to do the things I do.
I recently returned from a Middle Eastern country with three other men. We took in thousands of SD chips (Bibles) that will be further “smuggled” into a place where the underground church, though under fierce assault, is exploding. We flew out on a Thursday evening and arrived at 12:20. We left our hotel the next day at 5am. We were in country about 30 hours, but half that time was an attempt to sleep. We delivered “the product” to our contact and spent the day walking through the city with him. I think it was a huge boost of encouragement for him as well as for us. We were there briefly leaving no footprint, but we left having delivered what will be life-giving to THOUSANDS. Though we will most likely never meet those impacted this side of heaven, it is a simple sacrifice on our part to enter into the risk that they face daily. What a privilege.
We arrived at a land that is rich in Biblical history. The land of the Patriarchs and a land of contrasts and conflict. We walked in the city that the Magi, most likely, came from. Arriving at customs, two of our party were pretty much waved through. One was stopped and checked but allowed to pass through. I was the first to go through customs. As I stepped into the line, I was notifi ed that a text came through. I read it: “Steve, right now we have 1000 people praying for you guys.” Ten time zones away. In the most crucial moment. As someone once said: “God is NEVER in a hurry, but He is ALWAYS on time.” I carried two items: a backpack and a suitcase that my mother graciously gave me and said I could leave in country. The suitcase contained mostly food for a missionary family that we wanted to encourage. It contained treasures that ONLY children would desire: Paw Patrol Mac & Cheese, Dinosaur Egg Oatmeal, Pop Tarts, etc. As they “strip searched” my suitcase, ALL the “product” of any significance was easy to find. BUT what made “their seeing eyes blind” was OATMEAL. They were locked onto the oatmeal. I asked if I could open a pack and show them the oatmeal? I handed the oatmeal to the guard; he saw the contents and was convinced it was oatmeal. As he was handing it back to me, I asked if he would just put it in the garbage. As he turned, I closed the suitcase and walked on. They waved me through. But what they really waved through was the opportunity for THOUSANDS to encounter Jesus and His salvation and His redeeming love. Thank God for Oatmeal.
One of the men who traveled with us was a retired military officer. Prior to our leaving he said that he wanted an opportunity to take life into a nation that the last time he had been there he took death. The gospel is transformative, and it is, indeed, life-giving.
