God had told me I did not need to sell our house as I thought I would have to do, in order to provide the money for our future venture in working with Wycliffe. God had spoken to me spectacularly to tell me not to sell the house. (But that is another story.) I knew I wasn’t to sell the house. That much was clear. But now of course, we needed to rent it out and we needed house managers for when we were overseas. So I was going to take care of that myself. But God showed me very clearly that He had this under control and I didn’t need to do a thing. Just like the Israelites in the wilderness, I just had to be led by the cloud by day and the fire by night. So I felt He was telling me not to do it in my own strength but rather, to watch and wait to see what He would do. That was so hard to do because I felt like I needed to do something to make it work out. I’d think, God is not going to do it all for me. “He helps those who help themselves”, they say. But each time I felt I had to find a house manager myself, God would whisper into my spirit, to wait and watch what happens.
Well, it got down to the last weekend before we were to leave town, and I had begun to think I was stupid doing what I was doing. Clearly, God expected me to do some basic things too. Tania and I had prayed about the matter of a house manager and three names had come to mind. Garry Danswan, Graham McKenzie and Ken Rolfe. Ken’s name dropped away quickly and I was left with Garry and Graham. We kept praying over those names and every now and then, I would think I should go and talk to both men and SORT IT OUT. But God kept bringing to mind, “Don’t move before the cloud moves Ian. Wait for Me to do it for you”. Crazy stuff. We have to do things for ourselves. God expects us to do normal things normally doesn’t He? “No Ian, be still and trust Me to work this out for you. Stand back and see how I will work on your behalf”.
We were into the last week before packing up and leaving the house and nothing was sorted out about a house manager. I had not spoken to either man, but rather “waited on God”. How foolish. You are crazy Ian. You should do something for yourself. Over and over this battle was going on inside of me. On the Tuesday I went to see Garry about work related matters in setting up something for the HOD of Geography coming back, and Garry needed to know what I had done. So I went into his office to talk with him about it. When I had finished and was about to go, Garry said, “Ian have you got a minute? There is something I need to ask you.”
“Sure Garry, what is it?”
“Ian, do you need someone to manager your house for you while you are away?”
I sat there stunned, no doubt with a stupid look on my face. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I said, “Oh, yes we sure do . . . ” and I told him the whole story. He said. “That is amazing. Glenys and I have felt so strongly that we were to be your house managers, that we have even gone off to get training in drawing up house rental contracts, etc, but haven’t felt to say anything until now. We really feel that God wants us to be your house managers. Does that make any sense to you?”
I started to cry at the wonder of God’s ways. Garry and Glenys Danswan, had in fact, felt to do that some months before we were “called to work with Wycliffe” in June 1981. Before you call I will answer, is true. I saw right at that moment that God is faithful and will do all that He says He will do, in His perfect timing.