Yesterday morning, during my walk, my feet crunched the leaves along the path as I followed my regular three mile route. Nothing was out of the ordinary; it was a common October day where I live, complete with brown fallen leaves, and a particularly humid, mid-morning air. My head was aching with thoughts of everything I needed to do, and last minute things I needed to get done before next Wednesday when I leave for training camp. I had made it my goal to do a trial packing for my backpack later that afternoon, and I was partly excited, but mostly dreading it. The packing alone was enough to overwhelm me, make me want to crawl under a blanket, and retreat to my books and writing (my comfort zone).
Then suddenly I saw a small, angular shaped shadow on the stop sign up ahead of me. Oh lovely. A creepy looking insect eating another creepy insect, I thought to myself sarcastically (that’s what it looked like). But as I got closer I realized what I was looking at was something much sweeter. It was a butterfly breaking free from it’s chrysalis. I suddenly felt a rush of love come over me, and I just knew that God was all over this moment.
That little butterfly didn’t look like one from far away, on the contrary it looked disturbing at first. But when I got closer I could see it for it what it really was: a new creation.
There’s been a series of emotions involving this trip, and I’ve found myself to be especially emotional this week with training camp around the corner. After getting my backpack stuffed (it only took me three hours or so), I stared down at it in silence. It was around this time a year ago when I first called AIM and talked with them over the phone about the World Race. I never saw myself doing something like this trip. Yes, I’ve always had a heart for international missions, but I never imagined God would have me go to eleven countries in eleven months. I never imagined I would be preparing to spend ten days outside camping in Georgia for my training (I’ve always been the type who loves daily showers and air conditioning). When I first began reading about the World Race and getting information on it, the thought of me going both excited, and scared me. When God told me to apply, I think my spirit knew even then that I would go. When I got the phone call telling me I had been accepted, I couldn’t help but laugh. “You couldn’t have picked a least likely person to do this, God.” I told Him. But God is in the business of doing the impossible. He makes us new in Him, and oftentimes, when He calls us, He calls us to a place that is just barely out of our reach; He makes it just a little impossible for us. But He does it so that He alone can do the impossible through the least likely people on earth.
Time and time again I’ve seen God’s hand all over this trip, and I wanted to briefly give Him thanks. Some encounters have been small, and some big, but all of them are from God.
- When I got my backpack at REI I had no clue how to put the darn thing on and adjust it. Well guess what? The backpack fit perfectly, it was the last one of the model, and the associate at the store told me I didn’t need to adjust it at all.
- I started working at an Ace Hardware store that sells Chacos of all things, and I found out I get a 50% discount on them. And what’s more, when I went to buy the color I wanted, there were only two pairs left.
- I wanted to make more wood projects to sell for a fundraiser around Christmas time, but the problem was I had no wood. I said a quick prayer to God, telling Him I was leaving it in His hands. Two days later I was out walking, and what do I see? A man and his wife redoing their fencing, and eager to get rid of their old fencing, still in great shape. As I left the couple with a promise to return, I thought, now I just need my friend Evan and his truck to haul this wood for me. Within a few minutes on the same walking path, I ran into Evan’s mom, who promptly volunteered his help that same day.
- I found out that a girl who’s friends with my sister, and that I also knew from Illinois, went on the World Race two years ago. She’s already given me great advice!
- One day coming back from a walk, I suddenly saw beams of sunlight piercing through the trees all around me, reaching all the way to the ground. It was vibrant, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that I found myself literally walking through glittering beams of sun. They were gone before anyone else could see them.
- As of two weeks ago, I received an unexpected donation of $2,500 that sent me over my December deadline!
These are just a handful of events that have happened. And it’s what makes me realize that God’s blessing is over all of this. So what have I learned in a nutshell? He loves doing new things in people and doing new things through them, and He is a God Who makes all things new. If God calls you (whatever that may look like in your life) GO. If it seems impossible, He’ll make it possible. And keep your eyes open, because He’s always at work. You just have to be willing to see it.
Taken 10-12-2016
