Mistake at the Russian Border

Our human limitations and weaknesses sometimes present an excellent opportunity for God to work and do miracles on our behalf.

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We were on a train headed to Russia with a group of people from different parts of the world, traveling with an organization called “Cry for Life.” It was the end of May, late at night, and I stared out the train window watching the sunset. I had never experienced the sun setting so late and rising so early. The train we traveled on had sleeper cars, so I went to bed shortly after.

I was awakened five hours later with a loud pounding on our door. As we opened it, we saw two guards with machine guns strapped to their shoulders, demanding we open our bags so they could search them. I didn’t realize it at the time, but we were close to the Russian border, and a bag search of all the passengers was customary.

As I opened my bag, I saw my Bible sitting on the very top of my clothes. I suddenly remembered our leader’s reminder a few days earlier not to pack our bibles. It was considered not a good idea to do so when traveling in Russia at that time. My heart began beating wildly, and I held my breath as the soldier looked through my belongings. Strangely enough, the men left our room and went on to the next one after searching through our things. Soon after the men left our space, our leader, Bert, came to check on us. I think the 5 a.m. bag search was as much of a shock to him as it was to us.

Upon entering our room, seeing our open bags and my Bible sitting on top of my clothes, Bert looked at me and said in his strong Dutch accent, “Brandie, you brought your Bible? Did the guards see it?”

I immediately apologized for bringing it and commented that it sat in plain view while the soldiers searched my bag, but they did not seem phased by it in the least.

“It’s a miracle!!” Bert exclaimed, “God hid your Bible!”

I felt incredibly embarrassed for not following what Bert had told us to do. At the same time, I was in awe because at that moment, I realized we certainly had experienced a miracle of God’s protection. There was no other plausible explanation.

God isn’t limited by our mistakes. He is the Redeemer of them.”

From this experience, I learned that God isn’t limited by our mistakes. He is the Redeemer of them. In fact, our human limitations, and weaknesses sometimes present an excellent opportunity for God to work and do miracles on our behalf. Perhaps this is an excellent example of what Paul writes, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV). We experienced God’s power that early morning on the train headed to Russia, and in many other circumstances throughout that trip, God worked on our behalf to accomplish the purpose He had for us, despite our human limitations.

Friend, how do you feel about making a mistake? Are you comfortable or fearful of making them? The truth is, God is bigger than any of the mistakes we make, and He has the power to help us when we mess up.

Think about one way you can show God today that You’re thankful He redeems mistakes.

Father God, thank You for being the Redeemer of my mistakes. When I make a mistake, please help me remember that I can trust You to work and bring good out of the situation.

In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

 

Featured Image by kalhh from Pixabay

 

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About the Author

Brandie Muncaster is a wife and mother who possesses a passion for God’s Word, praying for people, and seeing God transform people’s lives through inner healing. As someone who has known the powerful transforming work of God in her own life, it is her passion to see others experience the same! Brandie and her husband have been married for over a decade, and they have three young children. Their most favorite past times are playing sports, and spending time outdoors either at the beach or in the mountains. The Muncaster family happily resides in the Charlotte, NC area.