God has called me.
There is a song that says, “I lean not on my own understanding, my life is in the hands of the maker of heavens, I give it all to you God, trusting that you’ll make something beautiful out of me.”
That is my calling. Surrendering all, holding nothing back, and trusting that He will make everything beautiful in its time.
I see God continually asking me to take steps of faith towards Him. One at a time.
The World Race was the first step. It was the first time in my life that I completely had to abandon my plans and desires in order to pursue Him. It was beautiful surrender that resulted in intimacy with my Lover.
The World Race was a glimpse of God’s heart. I could hear His laughter in the children in Kenya, I could see His joy in the girls dancing in Rwanda, I could see His compassion in the cries of the Salvadoran people, I could feel His heart beat coming alive in me.
God broke me in those 11 months for the World. He completely wrecked my plans and my sense of who He was and who I was.
He redefined my world.
He opened the door of opportunity and started planting imaginable dreams within my heart.
Instead of taking Jeremiah 29:11 and trying to cram it into my dreams and desires, I began looking to God to completely rearrange and transform my life according to His plans.
Someone asked me today, “What is your legacy? Live as if you have an expiration date.”
And I began to ask myself, "what am I leaving behind? What part do I play in the Kingdom of God?"
God has spoken to my heart and broken me for the people of El Salvador. My fears and expectations grip at my heart and try to rip His dreams away. But I cannot deny His words…my heart must render in obedience despite my fears.
Yet another step of surrendering all and holding nothing back.
God has called me to move to El Salvador for six months starting in January 2014! First I will be going to a Spanish school in Guatemala from October 23rd-November 21st, 2013.
This is the start of something new. I wish I could express every tiny awesome detail that God has orchestrated for me to reach this point in my life. He is indescribably and unexplainably the best Father! Nothing is coincidence and even the sufferings of this past year are being turned into something beautiful. (For He makes everything beautiful in it’s own time)
He is weaving together the brokenness and different seasons into a beautiful masterpiece. The mistakes and failures are the red threads found throughout. For those are the pieces covered by His blood and have been woven into His beautiful plan.
Below are a few things God has spoken to my heart to confirm this calling on my life:
“So here’s what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart’s been in the right place all along. You’ve got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it! Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can not what you can’t. The heart regulates the hands.” 2 Corinthians 8:10-12
There are doors and opportunities open for you only for now, for such a time as this.
“I the Lord have called you in righteousness, and I will hold your hand; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people. As a light to the gentiles. To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison; Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. Behold the former things have come to pass. And NEW THINGS I DECLARE! Before they spring forth I tell you of them. “Isaiah 42:6-9
I will close doors before you. But I have opened a window. You stand before the window not seeing because you are blinded by the cloth. But soon you will see the way. You will see the answer. You see only a glimpse now of what I will do.
“Behold I will do a new thing, not it shall spring forth.” Isaiah 43:19
As I looked to the sky and saw the clouds cover the night sky, God spoke to me, “Bethany as the fog covers the beauty of the stars, so your vision covers what I am about to do. You now partially know, but soon you shall fully know.” As I look at the night sky, know thing that through the fog laid beautiful stars, I understood what He meant. Many times all I can see is what is in front of me. But faith is trusting in the unseen beauty beyond the fog. Beyond the pain, hurt, trials, and struggles. There is beauty. For God works all things together for those that love Him and are called according to His purposes. March 2012, Nicaragua
“I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
“I will call them my people who were not my people.” Romans 9:25
“A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.” Proverbs 18:16
“Surely you shall call a nation you do not know and nations who do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and the Holy on of Israel; For He has glorified you.” Isaiah 55:5
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying ‘This is the way, walk in it.’ Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:31
God truly does have a plan and purpose for my life and I am choosing to be apart of it. Instead of creating my own plans and fitting God into it. I am choosing Him and jumping into what He is doing!
Thank you for being a part of my journey. Please continue in prayer as I make these next steps of faith. I pray that God speaks to you too about His masterpiece in your life. Jump into what He is doing, don’t try to fit Him into your box. He is bigger and better than you can ever imagine!
Love,
Bethany Bernard
