If there is one thing I've learned about my husband in nearly 6 years of marriage, it's that Scott doesn't stop. He will battle through anything to keep his word. It's one of the things I admire most about him. But after fighting a horrible virus for over a week, we ended up in the ER one Sunday afternoon roughly 24 hours before Scott needed to board a plane to Kuala Lumpur (KL) to partner with Harvest Bible Chapel KL for several days in ministry.
After providing written consent that the hospital could administer heavy-duty drugs because Scott was unable to do so himself, I pulled out my phone and sent pastor Jeff Hoenshell and his wife Carissa a text: "God must have some big work planned for Satan to be fighting this hard. Please pray."
As the hours crept by with me at Scott’s side, I realized that I might have to be the one to tell him he simply wasn't up for it. He was on multiple IVs to combat extreme dehydration, hadn't eaten in days and was so weak that he couldn’t even walk without assistance. I certainly wasn't comfortable sending him on a 24-hour flight literally halfway around the world. But then this still, small, but nearly audible voice struck me with three simple words: “Remember jury duty."
Scott gets called for jury duty more than anyone I know. There are several different juries in DC you can be called for, and serving on one doesn't exempt you from serving on another. In the last year, Scott was called twice. And the one he was supposed to be on in the fall--which covered the exact dates of the KL trip--didn't have a "defer" option. You show up when called. But, with lots of prayer, God moved and in record time they let him defer, opening the door for him to plan his trip.
It may seem like a small thing, but it was the linchpin that made this trip possible or for him. And God worked. So those words, "remember jury duty," really held me together for the next 24 hours.
Scott was discharged late that evening, and we went home. He was sick all night. He was still so sick the following morning that I took the day off work, concerned he shouldn't be alone. By noon he was able to get out of bed. By 2 p.m. he had his first meal in days. By 3 p.m. I was packing his bag. And at 5 p.m. we left for Dulles airport.
All of this ran contrary to my better human judgement, but we both felt an inexplicable sense of peace about his boarding that plane. So, backed by an army of prayer warriors and a God who moves mountains, we left for the airport.
All said and done, Scott and Dan had an amazing week in KL. But the real work done was in our hearts as God took a situation that was seemingly hopeless and redeemed it for his good work. It was a huge test of trust to watch Scott walk away through airport security and not beg him to stay.
This whole ordeal challenged my faith and forced me to choose between relying on my own strength or my God’s. I have never been so thankful to see God work in my heart and give me the grace to trust him even in my weakness.