Have you ever longed to follow God wherever He leads?

What if He took you on a detour straight out of your comfort zone? What if He asked you to do things you knew you couldn’t do and to confront doubts you wish you didn’t have?

What if God called you to do something that would be… misunderstood?

Would you still say yes?

If so, you’d be in good company. Just think about some of your favorite Bible heroes. Mary, the pure mother of Jesus, was seen as unfaithful. Daniel, whose faith would one day save him from ravenous lions, seemed picky about his food and daily routine. Joseph, destined for leadership, was treated as a slave and a prisoner. And Abraham, called to be the father of a great nation, seemed like just an old man waiting on a forgotten promise from a God nobody else could hear.

I don’t know about you. But when I read my Bible, I tremble. Because following God is not easy.

It may not be easy, but it is good. If there’s anything I’ve learned in my own multi-continent journey with God, it’s that His plans are good.

See, I always thought I would can applesauce and raise a big tribe to run wild through my wheat fields. Never mind that I knew nothing about canning or farming. I still longed for that adventure in normalcy. I hoped I would live in the same small town forever.

But that’s not how it turned out.

Instead, just when I was in the middle of living happily ever after, God called me, a person prone to questioning and anxiety, to be a missionary.

Really, God?  I still ask that question every day. Me? You trust me to do this? Have you ever met me?

I never would have chosen this path on my own. But now, after eleven years of mission service, I wouldn’t trade this crazy detour for the world.

I have understood the life stories of friends in three different languages. I have birthed two babies overseas and been miraculously spared from death. I understand now why it’s hard to follow Jesus, whether you’re a Hindu, a Muslim, or even a Christian. I have witnessed people being born and people being spiritually reborn, and all of it has seemed one giant miracle. It’s like a memo from God, and He’s saying:

“I exist. I’m paying attention. And I’m going to lead you to the promised land.”

It’s been awkward, too. Because trust me, pounding this square American peg into the Indian and African cultures hasn’t been easy.

It has been funny, though. And that’s good, because both tears and laughter are a kind of reset. A way to accept and move on, to mourn and celebrate and then get up and keep obeying God.

Hidden Song of the Himalayas

Three years ago, amid all the happy tears and the sad tears and the laughing over my awkwardness, I heard the call of God again. The call to write down everything He did for me and my husband and kids during our seven years as missionaries in India.

As usual, I hesitated. For one thing, the only time I had to write was before the kids got up, and I am not a morning person. God would have to wake me up at 5:30 am every day if He wanted me to write that book. 

As though that would be hard for God to do. 

Just days after that prayer, we were gifted a kitten with a little black “mustache.” I named him Protagonist. Morning by morning, Protagonist awakened me by pouncing my feet.

At 5:30 am.

So, I remembered and laughed and cried and prayed as I typed up all I had seen God do in India. And that is how Hidden Song of the Himalayas was born. In the same way all of my tasks, tests, and trials eventually right themselves. By small miracles.

I pray, and believe, that this book will inspire you to follow God wherever He leads. To obey no matter what He asks. To take the detour outside of your comfort zone, outside of what everyone thinks of you, and into the light, where God is going to do something in you and through you.

Maybe He’ll call you to wild and crazy adventure in a far-off land. Or maybe He’ll ask you to stay unnoticed, to quietly serve Him, the God Who Sees. Maybe He’ll challenge you to search out the reasons for your faith or to reach out to someone in your community. 

Whatever His call, I hope our experiences in India will inspire you to say yes.

Get your copy of Hidden Song of the Himalayas here.

Love,

Abby