…it reflects.
As I look back on this life God’s blessed me with thus far, a few things are glaringly clear.
God is faithful and full of both Love and Grace.
I’m a sinner in desperate need of a Savior.
But I digress. I grew up in a Christian family and learned from an early age the importance of Church. I went to a Christian Elementary School where I learned all about God, big stories from the Bible. I could give all the Sunday School answers.
High School came and went and had its ups and downs, as most high school experiences have; it was then time for college. Attending Houghton College had been one of the biggest blessings in my life. God taught me how much He desires a relationship with me. Revolutionary. This completely changed all those “big stories” I had learned. I had to retread them with new glasses on.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17
I served on a traveling ministry team while at Houghton that instilled in me not only a servants heart but the travel bug as well. (Looking in the mirror can be illuminating, wink wink)
Towards the end of my college years, though, I fell pray to one of Satan’s biggest lies. “All love is good because God is love.”
I was gay. I entered a relationship that in no way honored God. But I was in love, so that was okay, right? I’ve come to believe that that was exactly the lie the Devil wanted me to continue standing on.
When that relationship crashed, I was heartbroken. I was lost. I felt like what I believe Jonah felt like In the belly of the whale. It was dark, I was half-drown, I was scared with nowhere to turn. Like Jonah, all I could do was pray.
God is faithful and full of both Truth and Grace.
He showed me my sin and how incredibly far I had run from Him as He held me In His loving arms. I found a small group and an amazing Christian mentor who taught me the importance of putting the Truth of Christ before my deceitful heart and emotions.
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9
As I continued to grow in my new found relationship with my Savior I started serving in the Middle School ministry. After only a year removed of a sinful lifestyle I filled the leadership role there. How could God use someone who had been so broken, and still felt incomplete at times? Faithfulness. Love. Truth. Grace.
A year into serving in this role, I learned of the World Race through my mom. One of her coworkers (shout out Debbie Jacobs 🙂 was doing this crazy thing with Adventures in Missions; a missions trips that spanned 11 countries in 11 months. All I heard was, “yes”. God flung the door wide open, bringing all my reflecting into sight.
I leave in 2 days. I’m full of excitement and butterflies and expectation and insecurities and ADVENTURE.
I can’t wait for you to tag along! And, as always, jump in my backpack and let’s go!!!
