61I am a Canadian Christian serving Christ in Asia. It has taken many decades to reach the point in my walk with Jesus that has been attained now.
I grew up on a small cash crop farm a sick, quiet, shy boy.
The many decades on the potters wheel as taken me places I swore to never go to.
For example being a country hick there was no desire to go to the city. Through hardship the journey towards Gods ultimate plan for me began as a move to the city was inevitable because it was impossible to earn enough to live off of the farm. That is where God wanted me to be. It was there I tried to please God by living by the Ten Commandments, which is impossible of course.
Once while watching a news story there was a story about treeplanting which brought laughter to me as I swore that is one job I would never do. A recession where there were absolutely no jobs took me to treeplanting. It was a career that spanned thirteen years and took me all across Canada. By the time it was over I had planted one million, three hundred thousand trees. Sometime during the day while planting I would stop and look at all the tree’s planted and think “The earth is Gods garden and man is the caretaker. I am taking good care of Your garden Lord.” and then think of all the pollution the trees were taking in while giving us clean air, the birds that would raise their young in the boughs of those branches, the soil erosion those tree’s prevented and the clean water they provided. It was a good feeling.
One time during break between spring and summer plant I was at a weekend Christian jamboree. I went to listen to the bands and enjoy fellowship. One day I was drawn to a big tent where a revival sermon was occurring. At the end the preacher asked if anyone would like to come forward and give their lives to Jesus. I went forward to pray for family. Instead I fell to my knees in the mud and gave the sinners confession while rivers of tears streamed down my face. It felt as if there was no one else in the universe but God and me. Afterwards I felt washed clean, free and filled with joy. Many people standing around were standing there with there mouths open and said they had never seen anything like that. They wouldn’t tell me what they saw but it left quite the impression on them. When I asked them to come join me they just backed away like I was some creature from another planet.
In my naivety I thought to go out to serve my Jesus as a missionary in the Baja in Mexico. My child like opinion was “Okay God, I’m going to serve You. If I need You I’ll call.” The first time to prove me commitment I bicycled from Canada to the Baja Mexico in October and November, which is the storm season on the west coast. I did that for three years in the off season of treeplanting, but felt as if God were not there. Oh how naive I was.
Towards the end of the treeplanting career I saw a tiny ad for a TESOL which would enable me to teach English in a foreign country so I sent away for the home study course. About half way through I was bored and asked God if this is really what He wanted me to do. A feeling came over me to look into the camp fire (I was spending that off season camped out in the forest in the winter to be alone with God for three months only going to town once week to pick up mail). As I was gazing into the fire a scene came to me of teaching in a classroom full of poor children. I was elated believing God was sending me back to Mexico or Central America. After completing the course and getting the certificate my resume was put on the internet. With great disappointment the only positions available were in Asia. One inquiry seemed to jump out at me and I ended up accepting the position. So began a seven year teaching career in the Orient.
A time came when God introduced me to writing on blogs and places like Hubpages. I thought it was for money. Of course I knew nothing of writing much less doing it online. It took the Holy Spirit three years to teach me where we were in tune and now create articles that heal, comfort, encourage and ultimately lead others into a deep loving relationship with Jesus. One day after questioning God if he really wanted me to be a writer three verses stuck out to me: 2 Corinthians 9:8, Isaiah 3:20 and Jeremiah 29:11. I know now that is what God had planned for me all along. It only took Him thirty years to mold me.
My prayer is that these articles will guide you to a deeper relationship with Jehovah, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
All the articles and photos are created by Joseph- Anthony: Green and must not be copied, sold or used in any manner other than personal use.
May Jesus’ sweet love bless you.
