Interesting topic. I’m not sure that I could give a complete answer, but I guess I could give an example. The Holy Spirit gives me burdens, usually for people. One morning a few years ago, the Holy Spirit woke me from a deep sleep at 4am with a strong burden for China. It was so intense that all I could think to do was pray for the persecuted church including pastors who were in prison in China. Three days later I saw a news article about a pastor who was released and was back with his family in California. I thought, well maybe now the burden will be lifted, but it continues. Then Chinese people started calling me for tree work. There was even a Chinese church congregation in the area that reached out to me and asked for a quote on a large dying oak tree. I gave them a price but they told me a different company beat my price. I remember thinking, this involves China, so I probably haven’t heard the end of it. Sure enough, they got back to me and said that the other guy hadn’t seen the tree in person. When he did, his price went up and I ended up getting the job. Went camping with my oldest son in the mountains. Guess who showed up to the camping spot right next to us? The only Chinese family in the whole campground. Then I got a burden for the president of China Xi Jinping. So, I started praying for him. Then a Chinese lady forwarded a letter that had been written by a Chinese pastor who is currently in prison. In the letter he called for churches to be praying for Xi Jinping’s salvation amongst other things. Will God eventually call me to go to China? I don’t have the answer to that. I don’t really have a desire to go there. I would rather go back to South America. I don’t have any family connections to China. Oh wait, my brother is now dating a Chinese girl!
