Expect the Unexpected by Lisa Burkhardt Worley

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6)

It was 2013, and our Pearls of Promise team was in a small bookstore in Kerrville, Texas. We were there to see if the store would carry our first book, however we never anticipated what would transpire. Besides the shop owner and two other women, a mother and a daughter, we were the only ones in the store. The daughter told the bookstore owner, “Lock the door.” She then asked him to play a certain song, and Christian music filled the atmosphere. The younger woman then glided throughout the room prophesying over us. As the words flowed from her mouth, my feet were planted and I could not move. It was the closest I’ve ever come to being “slain in the spirit” as I fought to stay upright. Then this prophetic woman stared at me and said, “You will speak to the nations, but it will not be what you expect.”

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve thought about that day and that particular prophetic word. I believe it was a once in a lifetime experience and a foretelling of what was to come.

I think about it when I see how far God has taken our POP Talk television shows—through several networks—to nations all over the world. I never thought I’d go back to television. It was unexpected.

And this week I realized something else I never would have expected, I have become a teacher and missionary to the country of Pakistan. I didn’t see that coming.

Since our POP Talk show has been airing on King Television in Pakistan, many Pakistani faith leaders have reached out to Pearls of Promise.

I am preaching online at a Pakistani church next Saturday. It will be early. Pakistan is in a time zone that is eleven hours later than Texas. Our ministry team is also planning a women’s conference for another Pakistani congregation in February.

We’ve taught special hour-long segments on King Television. This was not what I expected but what I am seeing is the doors have flown open for us in Pakistan and the beautiful people there are hungry for biblical teaching, so we are answering that call.

So when unusual opportunities like this occur, are we willing to take a leap of faith?

If we are open, sometimes God leads us into the unexpected. He will use us in places that we never fathomed we’d go to or put us in front of someone we never thought we’d meet.

We serve a creative God. When we pray for divine direction, are we ready to let go of our expectations and expect the unexpected?

Dear Lord, we give our journeys to you. Help us to receive whatever you send our way with open arms—even the unexpected. In Jesus Name we pray, AMEN.