There are rough months on the World Race. There are rough months in life. We all have a choice what we are going to do with those months and how we will respond.
We definitely encounter spiritual climates and atmospheres in other parts of the world that we are just not accustomed to. A city’s spiritual climate is heavily influenced by the decisions people make, the things they struggle with, and the ways in which that impacts the world around them. You can find beautifully healthy climates in the middle of a city (churches, families, and ministries that demonstrate and live out the heart of God or communities and people that genuinely seek the good of others and the space they live in) but often dark places bring about more darkness as our choices compound and build on one another.
We grow up and in our own spiritual atmosphere and so often it feels like second nature, and because of that, we can often be a efficient light in that darkness because we are familiar with it. That is one of the reasons I believe partnering and serving with a ministry that has been established in a region, that knows the types of struggles that the local population has there is a very wise way to go about making an impact on a city. They know what to watch for, how that particular area is broken and often through their own investment and trial by fire have an idea how to reach out.
This month has been rough for me. I started out with a bout of acute sinusitis attributing it to where we are staying for the month and how it triggers my allergies something fierce. It’s month 9 of the Race and in general, exhaustion is setting in. I then have most recently had a battle with some type of food poisoning that has taken me out for the last few days. I have felt lonely, tired, washed up, like I was going to poop my pants, cook from the inside out, and that I might drown in my own snot. (just to be super dramatic haha)
On the other side of all this, I have a super strong team and we have seen God do incredible things so far this month. We have preached the Gospel in a prison and saw 5 women be introduced to our Father for the first time. We have preached and prayed in the local hospitals and seen people ministered to. We have prayed with a woman who has been sick for 15 years and prepared herself to die for her to receive Christ and be healed, her husband who serves in the local Buddhist temple standing by. It has been an incredible month so far.
I have seen a squad mates blog floating around recently and haven’t had the chance to read it and then my current team leader, Jordan, sends it to me in a message after having a conversation about spiritual warfare. After reading it, I can say I definitely agree and we have been experiencing the same thing on the opposite side of Thailand. She writes about us being in a battlefield and preparing ourself for war, she says her host sits her down and lays out some of the more common struggles here in Thailand. The blog resonates with me and I definitely encourage you to go check it out. Her name is Heather and she is a gem of a woman, strong in character and faith.
http://heathertobey.theworldrace.org/?filename=we-are-on-a-battlefield
I have entered into a lot of different spiritual climates both in my time on the race and off. I pride myself in saying to the struggles, to the enemy, to my current circumstances:
“YOU aren’t the boss of ME, YOU aren’t going to tell ME how my month (day, life) is going to go, I am going to tell YOU.”
It is easy to get pushed around by our emotions especially when we don’t physically feel well. Often we get pushed around by the enemy without realising it, his attacks coming off as just crazy irrational thoughts, or random insecurities that you don’t usually deal with. Other times they can be physical causing sickness and fatigue. Even in the middle of all of this I believe choosing joy in the midst of hard circumstances, by choosing to trust Him and His goodness even when it seems questionable, or your emotions raging you can choose how your days are going to look and what life is going to be like. You can’t always choose what is going to happen or what will or won’t affect you but you can always choose how you respond to it.
I got a tattoo 5 years ago that is based on one of my favourite verses:
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And [yet] not one of them is forgotten or uncared for in the presence of God.
But [even] the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be struck with fear or seized with alarm; you are of greater worth than many [flocks] of sparrows. Luke 12:6-7
But I also got it because it represents one of my favourite quotes:
“It is not a question of God allowing or not allowing things to happen. It is part of living. Some things we do to ourselves, other things we do to each other. Our Father knows about every bird which falls to the ground, but He does not always prevent it from falling. What are we to learn from this? That our response to what happens is more important than what happens. Here is a mystery: one man’s experience drives him to curse God, while another man’s identical experience drives him to bless God. Your response to what happens is more important than what happens.” –Chip Brogden
So, although it is month 9 on the World Race it is month 374 in life and I am determined to make sure I am the one choosing how my months look.
