Brandie J. Muncaster: Mistake at the Russian Border
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.
~Brandie J. Muncaster, author of Garden Tales: A Seed’s Story
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.
Our human limitations, and weaknesses sometimes present an excellent opportunity for God to work and do miracles on our behalf. #VineWords #MistakeattheRussianBorder #BrandieJMuncaster Click To TweetFriend, 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.
Share 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.
Genre: Non-fiction
Copyright 2021: Mistake at the Russian Border: Brandie Muncaster: All Rights Reserved
Meet Our Contributor
BRANDIE MUNCASTER
Brandie J. Muncaster’s passion for writing is fueled from her desire to help people discover what it means to live and walk in their true identity in the Lord Jesus Christ. As someone who has known the powerful transforming work of God in her own life, she is passionate about seeing others experience the same. Through prayer, and applying the Word, she ministers the love of God.
Brandie is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More and Kingdom Winds.
She is the author of the children’s book Garden Tales: A Seed’s Story. Her work-in-progress is a memoir entitled A Story of Redemption, where she shares how God has brought inner healing through His Word.
Brandie is a conference speaker. She has ministered at Life Potential for Women Conference hosted by Jozel Kale and Luke Laffin; Forest Hill Church Women of Valor Conference hosted by Marilyn Chadwick and Stacey Martin; Southbrook Church Rooted Conference, and Southbrook Church Live Out Loud Event, both conferences hosted by Kathy Johnston; and other venues.
She is a member of Word Weavers of Charlotte; Hope Writer’s Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and Kingdom Winds Collective.
She and her husband have three children. She enjoys spending time her children playing sports, or visiting the coast or the mountains. Brandie enjoys reading, painting, running, and homesteading. She resides in Charlotte, NC.
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I love this story! God literally blinded their eyes. He does sweet things like that for us.
I love how He works!
Amazing devotion, sister. I’m glad God redeems mistakes, and also that you value Bible reading. 🙂 I love this sister!
Thank you! 🙂 I’m glad He redeems them too.
Brandi what an encouragement to help us through the rough times..
I liked the statement, “From this experience, I learned that God isn’t limited by our mistakes. He is the Redeemer of them.” Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Charles. It’s so freeing to me to think about how I can make mistakes and God can take them and do what He wants with them.