To Bless You in Some Way

There was yet another occasion when I couldn't easily get to sleep. I knew it shouldn't normally be difficult for a child of God to get to sleep, for "He giveth His beloved sleep". So I flicked on the light and asked the Lord, "What is it?"

I picked-up my Bible from the bedside table, and it fell open at the verse in Acts where the angel of the Lord instructed Philip to leave Samaria and go down to the desert road called Gaza, where he met the Ethiopian eunuch and led him to Christ.

I said to the Lord, "If you are telling me that you want me to go somewhere, tell me where - first thing in the morning".

Then I was able to go to sleep soundly!

The next morning when I woke up, the first thing that came to me was, "Toowoomba".

I said to the Lord, "If you are saying that you want me to go to Toowoomba, have my mother open my bedroom door and place her hand on my back".

Whilst I was still speaking I heard footsteps at the door. Mum wouldn't normally do this without knocking - but she opened the door and put her hand on my back. This never happened before nor since.

During the morning while I was pondering how to get to Toowoomba, the Lord said to me, "Arturo". Arturo is a friend of mine who I once ran a home-meeting with - but we hadn't done any ministry together for four years.

I also saw a vision of two dark-skinned people, a man and his wife. I could see their beautiful character shining through their faces. I could almost reach out and touch them. I wondered, "Who are these people?" I longed to get to know them.

"Maybe I'll meet them in Toowoomba," I thought.

The phone rang - and would you believe, it was Arturo. He said, "John, I am going to Toowoomba on Saturay. Would you like to come?" He suggested I catch the train to Beenleigh, then he would drive from there. I didn't at the time have any money to buy the train ticket, but I was so sure the Lord wouldn't let me miss His will over something small like that. So we agreed.

Saturday came, and I still didn't have any money for the ticket, but I saw a vision of a fifty dollar note. I decided to ask my brother and sister-in-law to drive me to the train station anyway. I'd heard a story before of someone going to the train station by faith and whilst standing in line, somebody gave him a ticket. So I gathered it was going to happen this way for me too.

But a few minutes before we were due to leave home, I cracked under pressure and asked my sister-in-law if I could borrow ten dollars. She replied, "Don't worry, Peter and I had already decided to give you something." Just before we left the house they ended-up giving me fifty dollars.

When we arrived in Toowoomba, Arturo said to me, "I'll take you to meet my friends". We knocked on the door, and who should greet us at the door but the delightful couple I'd seen in the vision. They were pastors, from Zimbabwe. They gave us a beautiful African dinner, and we stayed overnight then ministered in their Sunday church service the next morning.

Afterwards Arturo returned home, but the Holy Spirit led me to stay in Toowoomba where my work extended for another three months. The Lord opened many doors for me to preach the Gospel - and some of the most lasting friendships and some of the richest provision I've ever received in my life came from that time in Toowoomba.

God had it planned all along. And that's why I wasn't finding it easy to get to sleep that night - He was wanting to arrest my attention about a new direction.

So don't fret if you have trouble getting to sleep one night. Ask the Lord what it is: it could be that He wants to use you, speak to you, commune with you or bless you in some new way.