I stood at the edge of the G...... River (name withheld) and observed the rising waters. It had taken three days to get to this point... a flight from Costa Rica to Colombia, two 4-hour bus trips, and two shorter trips by a taxi-pickup. This was new territory for me.

Why had I made this trip? I was invited by Guahibo pastors to meet with them in a village across the river to teach them the Word of God. In my four bags I carried study Bibles and booklets for the pastors; there were eyeglasses, headlamps, medicines, and common Bibles for any of the attendees. We also had purchased several sacks of food for the pastors.

As I looked toward the distant shore, the taxi driver said, "I am not going to cross that river!" I didn't blame him...I would have made the same decision. "Still, the people in the village need the food," I exclaimed. 

The Guahibo men who accompanied me volunteered to take the sacks of food on their shoulders. They made several trips across the river in the chest-high water, but I was not going to risk the Bibles falling into the water. "I will take the Bibles and other items back to the small hotel and we will try to cross tomorrow," I said.

Later that night I received a message (by WhatsApp) from one of the pastors..."Do not cross the river! There is a band of renegades on our side of the river who will waylay, rob, and harm any stranger who crosses the river. Leave the Bibles and other items at the hotel. We will pick them up tomorrow and distribute them."

As I repacked the bags for distribution, I prayed, "Lord, you control the river. You allowed the water to rise and prevent our crossing. Thank You for protecting us."

I was unable to conduct the seminar, but the Lord had other plans. I witnessed to many people and gave out gospels and tracts on the three-day trip out to the river as well as on the return trip to Bogota. Two days later I received word from the senior pastor that the Bibles and supplies had been distributed to all the attending pastors at the meeting.

As we say in Spanish..."El hombre propone, pero Dios dispone." (Man plans, but God directs! Proverbs 16:1). It pays to be flexible in the hands of a mighty God and protective Father!