Minding My Own Business

After I blogged about human frailty, I found out I had an illness which definitely affected my mood. It doesn't diminish my need to work on my sins, but illness does play a part in our struggle against sin. Part of my struggle this week has had to do with keeping my hands off, and trusting God to work on my behalf. Medical interpreting is one of the things I do as an independent contractor. I have been involved with the same clients through volunteer work with refugees, and through them became aware of interpreting opportunities that were being assigned to others. I really need the money, and was toying with the idea of telling the clients I knew, that they could actually request a specific interpreter they wanted. The Lord was displeased with that, so I backed off. Soon after, a client asked me specifically whether I could interpret for him and his family. It was as if the Lord was saying, "Slow down, Kathryn. I can do this." Subsequently, that opportunity fell through due to the client being assigned to another clinic. However, the door is open for my agency to honor that request and assign that client's interpreting needs to me in the future. And I suspect the client might tell others in the Swahili-speaking community that they can choose their own interpreters. The African grapevine is like no other. So who knows what opportunities I might get (or not)? It's really up to the Lord, not me. Then yesterday, a Swahili-speaking friend asked me to take her to get an immunization. What should have taken about an hour took 4.5 hours (and 54 miles), due to us being shuffled from one clinic to another (sometimes in very slow and frustrating traffic due to construction)before we reached a clinic that actually performed the requested service. But we had quality and quantity time to fellowship with each other and laugh together. It's really fun to enjoy a time of laughter with someone in another language. Was time and gasoline wasted? I think not. God had a purpose for the two of us that could be fulfilled in no other way. I also helped this friend confirm medical appointments for two of her kids for today. Today it appears that this interpreting opportunity may not be assigned to me. But in God's eyes, that's none of my business, and He can provide for me.