God's Harvest

Above: Tim and Sheryl DeTellis in Haiti visiting with their sponsored triplets, Manoucheca, Mackendy and Magdala.

When looking for guidance in life, I often turn to The Lord’s Prayer…my daily bread…Thy will be done…  The Lord knows best, and often I’m asking Him to close or open doors—helping me stay on the right path.

When I’m on the road for the mission, visiting churches and attending events, I can often be caught up in the middle of wondering if I am working hard enough. Is there more I should be doing? Is there something I’m not doing that I should be doing?

Two days before my trip out of town, I received a text from a friend who asked if I would have some free time to meet-up while I was in his area that weekend. My travels had me overnight for Saturday and Sunday, flying back home on Monday. I responded, “Yes. I land Saturday afternoon and I have Saturday evening free.” He mentioned I could come over for dinner sometime after 6:00 p.m.

On Friday afternoon before I was leaving for the trip, I sat down with our office manger and she asked me how I thought the next few months would be for funding at New Missions. My response was that my calendar seems solid, but we have to trust God to provide. I often recall my father telling me how the Lord of the Harvest brings the reward for our labor. We do not labor in vain. We may do the physical, but God does the supernatural and we must trust Him for the accomplishment of our work.

When I landed and picked up my rental car, I put the hotel address in my phone and calculated the time it would take me to check into the hotel, freshen up a little, and take a short 15-minute nap to recharge after commuting that day. Before my alarm woke me up, I popped out of the bed and had this urging thought: Go get a pie. I felt I could not go to dinner without bringing a pie.

Just down the street from the hotel was a Cracker Barrel so I picked up an apple strudel pie and rang the doorbell of my friend’s home at 6:15 p.m. for dinner. He and his wife greeted me and she said, “Thanks for bringing the pie, we did not have dessert planned.”

We enjoyed homemade lasagna for dinner, a delicious salad, garlic bread, and of course, apple strudel pie for dessert. They found some vanilla ice cream in the freezer and we had a blast together. From 6:15 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. we talked and shared life stories.

Just before I left, I was sitting in their living room and my friend said, “I want to give you a check to help with the mission.” He stood up, walked away to get his checkbook. When he came back, he handed me a check and I thanked him and his wife, but I did not open the check. I just held it, folded, on top of my cell phone.

When I finally got in the car, I opened the check and I burst into tears of joy. God provides. I did not make an ask. I did not make a pitch. I was not there thinking the dinner was about meeting with a donor for money. God was at work, and I was just delivering a pie. Where is God taking you today? Look to see Him at work. Welcome the Lord of the Harvest to provide. ~Tim DeTellis

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“Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:38)  Today, will you accept the calling to be a laborer of God’s mission in your life? Not the mission of your life plan, but of God’s plan for your life. Too often we design what we want, when God has a better plan and we must surrender and pray, “Thy will be done.”

Serving together,

Tim DeTellis

P. S.  We are looking for volunteer advocates to host New Missions Sundays at their churches to help find sponsors for children. If you are able to help please contact molly@newmissions.org.