The phone rang. Late. I knew this would not be good news. Mbkiep, the leader of the church in the Pnong villages, had had a serious accident with the weapon he used to hunt, accidentally shooting himself in the forehead. The family was desperate to get him to the hospital about an hour from the village. They told me he was losing much blood. At that moment, I felt pure helplessness. I was on a trip seven hours away, and there was nothing I could do.

Excuse me for being so honest, but I felt my hopes for him were crumbling. When I tried calling back, no one answered the phone. I did not know if Mbkiep was alive or not. My mind kept wondering, Why him, Lord? They have left everything to follow you. Why do they have to suffer this? It was a hard time, and I needed to unload my feelings to God. But despite my lament before Him, my conclusion was always the same, Whatever happens, we trust you.

A few minutes later, we reconnected by phone, and I knew the whole story. It was not the bullet that was fired. The gun exploded, and a piece flew, pierced the headlamp Mbkiep was wearing and hit his forehead. Thank God that someone was able to help him get to the hospital.

Mbkiep spent a week in recovery and returned home. During that time, his doctor told us it could have been much worse. He could have lost an eye, had brain damage or even died. He told us that many villagers have died from this same accident.

I imagine Satan seeing Mbkiep with his gun and saying, “This is my chance. With him dead, the work will fall behind or may even stop.” Yet I see God saying, “Not today,” and allowing everything to pass to awaken in Mbkiep the sense of urgency to reach others. Mbkiep understands that God has given him another chance at life, and he wants to serve God even more than before, being a disciple for the people of his village.

We often do not understand difficult or even tragic situations that occur in our lives. But it is always good to remember that, amid pain and trouble, we have a God working through the situation, and the blessing He will give us will surpass the suffering we experience.

May we hold in our hearts Paul’s words, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

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