I spent yesterday driving home from North Carolina, then watching the gymnastics Olympic trials. I was over-joyed to be able to watch the sport that defined me for so long, and it was CRAZY to see a girl that I grew up with competing and placing in the top 10. It reminded me of when I was little, dreaming of being an Olympic champion. As I grew older, I realized how unrealistic that goal actually was for me. Even though I knew I was never going to be an Olympian, I excelled at being a competitive gymnast, until I retired after 13 years of the sport.
I have always been a planner. Setting goals and reaching them has always been how I’ve thrived. Even though this isn’t a bad way to live, God never allows us to settle on our own ideas alone, if we listen to what he is saying. I wanted to be a collegiate gymnast, but ended up being a collegiate diver. I expected to have all my brothers at my wedding one day, now I’ll only have 2. I planned on becoming a doctor, but turns out that God is going to put that on hold while I go be the hands and feet of Jesus for 9 months.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21
God calls us and expects us to jump. Not sit around, wait, and get comfortable in our everyday life. God calls us to be uncomfortable. When we are comfortable, are we really growing in our relationship with Christ? I’m going to argue that if you are comfortable, you aren’t really moving. You aren’t moving in a forward direction with Christ. I refuse to settle.
When God is moving in your life, it creates many obstacles that you have to overcome, and something that the Lord has been weighing on my heart is the relationships that I have around me. I have been reading a book titled “Lean on Me” that touches on intentional, vulnerable, and consistent community. As you may already know from my previous blog, I am working on becoming more vulnerable this summer.
We all have relationships that come and go, due to things out of our control, as well as in our control. What Ive learned about myself is that I’ve been content doing my own thing. If I get invited to do something, I will go, but how often am I inviting others to hang out, do things, or be in community with one another. I often find myself lonely after a shift, and end up sitting watching TV, instead of being proactive by inviting a friend over, or making plans with the family around me.
Becoming intentional with the relationships I currently have is something super important because I’m leaving for 9 whole months. That’s a pretty long time. I won’t be back in America until this time next year, which is crazy to wrap my head around. But who will be here when I get back? I would love to name a few, those certain friends that I am keeping in touch with now, and of course my family. But what am I doing to feed the relationships that I would like to keep?
I wish that I didn’t have to work so much this summer so that I could spend more time traveling to see my friends in Michigan, my family in North Carolina, and even with the people I have around me right now. Though I don’t have all the time in the world, I do have time to make a bigger effort. Not only am I working on the relationships I currently have, but I have LOVED getting to know some of my squad members on my Worldrace team. I know that God is going to do amazing things through all of us!
In other news, there has been a big change to our trip. Instead of going to Malaysia, our squad is going to ECUADOR! How cool! We are going to be able to do a lot more “hands-on” Jesus-loving to the people of Ecuador, and I know that God has a plan for us there and that he will move mountains for us!
THANK YOU to all the people that have donated to my trip so far, it has been amazing how God is pulling everything together. I raised $1000 in a WEEK! It is crazy what God can do, and I can’t wait to see what God will do in the upcoming weeks and months. The saying “if it’s God’s will it’s God’s bill” is unbelievably true! Just as an update, I have a deadline coming up and need $4000 more in order to meet the dead line of July 18! From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate every dollar and every prayer of support.
Also, If you live nearby, I am planning a garage sale on the 23rd and 24th of July! All proceeds will go to my trip! If you have anything you’d like to donate (like those goodwill bags you have sitting in the back of your car) let me know! Otherwise come out and check out my super cool sale!
WAYS THAT YOU CAN SUPPORT!
If the Lord is leading you to leave any amount of a donation, I want to start off by saying thank you, just click the DONATE button at the top of the screen!
If you can’t donate at this time, but would love to follow my journey before, and during my trip, click SUBSCRIBE at the top of the screen to get updated when I post a blog, as well as be added to my prayer team!
What I would love for everyone to do is add me to your prayer list. Pray that I can raise the funds and that all of my squad and I will be blessed preparing for Training Camp in August.
Blessings!
