God's Provision

From the beginning of my movement towards Michigan I’ve felt a powerful commonality with the apostle Peter, who said to Jesus, when he saw Him walking on the water, “Lord, if it’s You, tell me to come to You on the water.” (Matthew 14:28) I believe Jesus said to me, as He said to Peter, “Come.” If that’s true, one might reasonably expect Him to make provision for me to stay above water, as He did for Peter, and as He did for our family when we moved to Portugal in 2001. (It’s interesting, I think, that when Peter failed to avail himself of Jesus’ provision and began to sink, Jesus chastened him neither for his audacity nor his impetuosity, but for his doubt (v. 31)).

I left Lisbon at 7am on Wednesday, July 20, and arrived at Flint Bishop Airport at 7pm that evening. As I examined my map in front of the airport, preparing to hop into my rental car and begin exploring, a Christian named Ana offered assistance. I gave her a ride to her downtown home as she provided a running commentary on everything Flint. Flint is not a very big town—just 100,000 people now, half as many as in the ‘60s when it was an auto manufacturing powerhouse—so I wasn’t surprised to bump into Ana again yesterday at the library.

As I formulated my strategy for integration into the community, my priorities were communication, transportation, accommodation and vocation, in that order. Communication: My Portuguese phone is no good here, so the teenage tech-savvy son of Lisbon friends went online, chose a new one and had it expressed to the apartment where I’m staying. Transportation: On Friday, day 2, I found a 2002 Chevy Cavalier in excellent condition for exactly what I’d hoped to pay, got it insured and licensed, and drove to the baseball stadium of the minor league Great Lakes Loons, where I arrived in time for the first pitch, met my parents for the first time in five years and my nephew Louis for the first time ever. Accommodation & vocation: At lunchtime yesterday, day 8, I may have found the ideal job, and at dinnertime I may have found the ideal place to stay. I'm waiting for news on both. God mixed up the order a bit, but He has been lavish.

The most effective way to disguise yourself as an ordinary American is to always carry, not a gun, as many Europeans assume, but an enormous insulated vessel full of your preferred hot or cold beverage. After spending a fortune on coffee at places like Starbuck’s and McDonald’s during my first few days in America, I took my first step towards setting up house and bought a little coffee maker for $12. I spent the same amount on my enormous insulated vessel, which is a lot, but in addition to helping me blend into the crowd, it reminds me of one of my favorite Bible verses, Psalm 73:23, “No entanto, tenho estado sempre contigo,” “Yet I have been always with You [God].” 

The crime rate in Flint is seven times the national average. A huge proportion of homes that

were once occupied by employees of General Motors are now abandoned. Scrappers break in and remove everything of value, including everything metal, like pipes and wire. Kids burn them down for fun. The few residents who remain are under siege. They stay awake through the watches of the night defending their homes, which are now worth virtually nothing, from attack. Where will they find hope? How will God provide for them?