We serve a BIG God. He is huge. He is everlasting and eternal. He is all-powerful and all-loving. Our God is the crazy huge unfathomable God. He is the Great I am.
So, My first legitimate blog. One of many, many blogs. I figured after introducing myself some weeks ago I should go into my story. How did I make this decision? How did I come to the place where I want to devote the next year and the rest of my life to loving God’s people? So here it goes.
I am sitting here, at my kitchen table, drinking a smoothie (in an obviously lacking effort to eat something healthy) In a quiet house, trying to figure out what to say to you guys as the Broncos and the Panthers duke it out. How do I say this?
Lets state the obvious: I’m leaving to be an overseas missionary in October. At least I hope I am, if I’m supposed to be on that departure, God will provide.
3 months ago I was determined to go to graduate school.
before that, my plan was to do what everyone does… graduate, get a job, settle down, have kids, have really big family reunions, and whatever else comes with adulting.
Not that those things will never be in the picture, I will be overjoyed if they are, but over the last couple of years, my motivation for what I do with my life has changed. I want to live it for Jesus Christ. I want to be motivated by what he did on the cross, by loving ME and EVERYONE so much that he died an incredibly painful death that he did not deserve.
I would say I have been a christian since some time in high school, I couldn’t tell you when, but I am fairly certain I believed. And when I came to college, God knew what he was doing and got me plugged in with some CRAZY Jesus people. They just loved God and they loved his people. I started to understand my faith was not just believing in God but following Him. What does it command of us in the Bible? What can I do to show people the love of Christ? How can I submit everything under Christ’s authority?
Well I’ve been slowly learning all of these things over the past couple of years and it has evidently changed how I want to live my life. My main concern is no longer if I will get a good job, or if I will ever get married, but is if I will be serving God to the best of my ability wherever he places me.
Since late September, maybe early October I had gotten the feeling I was supposed to leave Des Moines. I didn’t know why, where, or for what, but I was supposed to leave and use what I had learned not just academically, but spiritually in another place. I pretty much decided that at that point I would start walking down the graduate school path. It made sense, it guaranteed to bring me someplace else. I was researching different programs and schools, trying to figure out how I could possibly get funding etc. Then in November…something changed.
I talked to my dad on the phone talking about after graduation, naturally, and he brought up the possibility of doing something in missions. I had never even thought of it before. It had never crossed my mind… and now it would. not. leave.
I went about my few weeks before thanksgiving, continuing with school, and grad school research and app prep. IT, this thought of missions, was just sitting in the back of my mind.
Driving home for thanksgiving is really when the ball started to roll. I listened to a message in the car about European missions, and about a minute in I was balling. What the heck. All he had said at this point was his name. The only way I can describe it: Holy Spirit. Basically I needed to pray a lot about considering this, and being okay with considering it. So I did. Most of my quiet times over that break consisted of praying about simply considering the possibility, and that God would make it clear whether I should or not.
Low and behold, what did I do on the way home? I listened to a message. I blindly chose a message from the Faithwalkers 2014 lineup. What came up? Long term mission. HAHAHaHahaha…ha……ha…..cool okay well… I listened to it and by the end, I was pretty sure this was a direction I needed to put some time, prayer and research into.
I spoke to some people, did some research, looked at some articles and was eventually pointed toward the World Race site by a friend. And then I kept visiting the WR site. And then I kept looking at a specific route on the WR site. Then I was praying about going on this crazy thing called the World Race.
After a lot of prayer, applying, interviewing, seeking council from people in authority (parents, pastors, leaders etc.) I was accepted.
This is where a new journey begins. Preparing for the World Race, trusting that God will provide for my needs, not my wants. Staying focused on the ministry that is still in front of me, and being dedicated to the people here, while I start to pray for the people I will be with and encountering on the race. Getting to know my squad members over fb messenger (thats an experience, let me tell ya) and being content (not comfortable) with where I am right now, with anticipation for the future that God has in store for me.
That is how I got to be where I am. A future world racer.
I read this few days ago and I was so convicted about being a doer of the word so I will leave you with this:
James 1:22-25
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he is like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
Thanks for reading guys! Hopefully there will be another blog soon :))
Also if you feel lead to help me with my journey financially it would be an incredible blessing. You can click on the support me link at the top of the page. Prayers are also always appreciated and needed. Pray for my squad, the people I will meet, and that the money needed to leave in October will be provided as long as it is in line with God’s plan.
Have a wonderful week! God Bless!
