September 13, 2014
As I sit here amid the beautiful mountains of Talanga, Honduras—sipping blackberry tea with a pinch of cinnamon and splash of milk, the aroma of fresh zucchini bread still lingering in the air—I am coming to one very big conclusion: the more I die to myself, the more I awake to the Spirit of God. I am awakening to a deepened faith and trust in God’s word, I am awakening to the freedom and sanctification that is available through Christ, who bore the cross for my depravities, and I am awakening to the power and courage of the Holy Spirit fully alive in me.
If I am perfectly honest, I have about five different topics running through my head: self-sacrifice in action, developing spiritual wisdom, honor through purity, poetry without passion and my life after the race. It is more than difficult to separate my thoughts out. Sometimes I wish I could just have a Skype conversation with all of you, because I love and prefer face to face conversations. You can read the excitement in my body language and sense the conviction in my voice. Alas, here I am, still hundreds of miles away trying to peg down how the Lord is working in my life when the better question is: How is He not?
I am privileged to experience what self-sacrifice is this month, making God, my team and my ministry my priorities over my own desires. I am learning to trust in the Lord’s provisions while I abstain from spending money on myself until October. I am gaining a deeper assurance and identity in Christ while I refrain from looking at my own reflection and instead ask for the Lord to reflect His splendor upon me. I am seeing the value of having a pure mind as I choose very carefully what books I read, what music I listen to and even what conversations I enter into, knowing that the purity of my heart and mind are important now while I am single, not just when I am married. I am realizing that my writing will never sound perfect in my head but through passionate prayer God can use it to awaken His children and magnify His Kingdom. I am praying for wisdom to make the best choices about my future when this race is completed with the knowledge I have today.
To think this race is just two and a half months from being over. The last nine months have been the most rewarding nine months of my life. The Lord has refined me so gracefully and continues to polish my rough edges and strengthen my weaknesses. My teammate, Kayla, asked me today, “What do you want to see happen?” I began to answer her in terms of our remaining time on the WR, but she quickly clarified, “I mean in your life.” So I spent some time thinking, which turned into unpacking a week’s worth of groceries for 16 people, which turned into watching a movie with six other squad mates. However, as I am snuggling into my purple SoCo hammock under a star-littered sky, I know what I want to see happen in my life.
-I want to increase my Biblical knowledge. I want to truly know the character of God because the more I know about Him, the more I will be able to love Him and be able to love others through His strength and mercy.
-I want to cultivate the deep friendships the Lord has blessed me with these last nine months. He has placed a handful of extremely special people in my life this year and I cannot wait to continue my life alongside them.
-I want to hone my spiritual gifts so I can rock God’s Kingdom! Some of these gifts include: faith, intercessory prayer, wisdom, teaching and creative communication.
-And I want to wake up each and every day choosing a life of thankfulness, humbleness and joy no matter my circumstances.
In summary, I want to see abundant love cascade from within me, including an unquenchable love for God, an unconditional love for others and a content love for the privilege of living in Christ.
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8
I pray that the Lord shows you what is good. I pray that He removes any barriers hindering you from experiencing the abundant life He has made for you. And I pray that your life is a reflection of His love every day as we humbly walk with God together. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Yours truly,
Isa
