How I got here

I’m Thomas Garner, a sinner saved by grace.  I’ve enjoyed the choicest mercies from the Lord, many of which have come totally unsought and all undeserved.  They have recently led me to go to Haiti to serve with AIM this summer.  What an awesome road and testimony is has been to arrive at such an opportunity to be a servant of the Lord!  I hope the road continues from there to be an exciting story, always marked by a 

strong influence from God.

So, instead of providing a history of Thomas Garner, allow me to give credit and testimony to the God who brought me here and how He did it.  While He is perfectly and completely able to carry out His will independent of our own doings, the Lord more often chooses to use us as instruments and vessels to accomplish His ends.  With that in mind, I love to mention the people playing parts in the story leading up to today.

On a return trip from Costa Rica, Wesley and I were enduring what we thought would be the lamest portion of our excursion in the Ft. Lauderdale airport with a 4 hr layover.  

After quitting my job and timing my exit with the vacay’s of my brother, Benjamin and amigo, Wesley, we planned a 10 day getaway to Costa Rica to see old friends, surf, hike, read, and most importantly prayerfully consider the Lord’s next step for all of us.  We devoted a half day at the end of the trip to have a “year in review” assessment of our personal and professional lives.  It was a meaningful time for reproof and encouragement in the Lord.  Truly, it’s amazing to look back and give credit to the Lord, where otherwise all things past are left forgotten, unacknowledged, and un-dealt with.  One definite conclusion was the way God had orchestrated our recent past with enough purpose already (mixed with many blessings and adversities), but it was also clear that all three of us were approaching a seminal crossroads at the end of this trip.  

Now picture my crossroads being in the corner of a airport gate where two gringos were snagging free drinks out of a busted vending machine waiting on a flight to board 3 hours later.  During our wait, Wesley and I were discussing the gospel in Galatians 5 when two strangers, Clint and Elizabeth enter into the story and our conversation about Christ.  The details of the conversation are noteworthy, but better I just say that we finished by praying with and for each other and specifically for Elizabeth’s boyfriend Bill and his job.  Next, Clint asks me to come to Haiti to be a project facilitator.  I humored him and everyone else with a response that that sounds really cool.  Oh yeah, totally cool… totally.  Thankfully, Elizabeth carried an obvious stick with her as carry-on and proceeded to beat me over the head with it.  I obliged her direction to consider the idea seriously, but again, only as a courtesy out of the uniqueness of a random airport encounter.  

The opportunity had a nice ring to it.  Expenses were covered on the back end, and then Elizabeth said if I went she’d pay for the flight.  Oh really.  “Give me your number then!!!!!”  I don’t want to belabor my story anymore, and better I emphasize His glory than ramble about my fun times.  As Elizabeth would say, “some things aren’t just coincidental.”  God is sovereign and deserves our reverence to that sovereignty.  Do I believe God works through the seemingly ordinary, normal, and mundane occurrences in life?  Yes.  Does He also work through the overtly obvious and opportunistic happenings in life? Yeah, believe it!  I don’t mean to imply that God fits into my box or formula of “the way things work.”  That’s not how I roll (you’re welcome, Will).  Furthermore, I shain’t (not a word, but I’m now a blogger – ergo it’s now correct) suggest that all signs and wonders that occur on cue or in right timing will serve as a positive litmus test for His direction.  BUT, this deserved a closer look… it had an air of divinity to it if you will.  I will.  Wesley, you were there… will you?

Caleb gets a shout-out as the next instrument in the hands of our Lord.   God bless him.  After telling him about the encounter, we were moved to pray together for the will of the Lord.  To be forthright, we prayed for specific confirmations from Him (i.e. doors to jobs opening/closing, time constraints working out, etc)  Again, let me skip ahead in the conversation and say that prayer can test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Thanks be to our Lord, the author and perfecter of our faith!  I love my ppl too.  Thanks to Benjamin, Wesley, Caleb, Clint, and Elizabeth.