On November 4th, I was sitting in church when I felt God impress upon my heart that He wanted me to start waking up earlier to pray for an hour each morning. Several months before, God had told me that my calling was in intercessory prayer. On November 4th, God was telling me to start walking according to that calling. It was time to begin my training as an intercessor. Although I was a little unsure about what I would pray about or how I would adjust to getting up even earlier each day, I immediately had a peace and an anticipation. I had no idea what God had planned for this new season, but I knew it would be wonderful!
On November 5th, I got up early and prayed for an hour. Nothing especially remarkable happened, but I enjoyed it. I did the same thing the next morning. And the next. And the next. Each morning, it was like a one-way conversation. I was talking to God, but I wasn't really hearing Him talk back. I was longing for His response, longing for Him to lead me in my prayer time and throughout the rest of my day. I wanted to hear Him tell me He loved me, or that He had a plan for me, or… anything, really. I just wanted to hear Him. I knew His voice would come soon enough. I just had to continue obediently praying each day in faith that He was listening and would speak to me when His timing was right.
On the seventh day of my new prayer commitment, I was reading over a word that had been spoken over my life back in April. I had travelled to a church nearby to hear a guest pastor and, while I was there, the Holy Spirit had given the man a prophetic word about my life. My mom had typed it up, so I was reading the transcript when I came across the lines that said, "And you'll cry unto God for a village and for a town and God will come. God will come. And right in the midst of it, just when you're ready to have fun again, God will say, 'We've gotta go to another place.' And you'll go to another place." As I got to these lines, I chuckled and even rolled my eyes a little bit. I asked God, "Lord, in what realm of reality is this even possible? What kind of life allows one to just flutter from village to village, traveling wherever you lead and praying for people?" Immediately, the words "The World Race" dropped into my spirit. I knew what the World Race was because I knew of a couple of people who had been on the race, but I had never, ever thought about doing it myself. My mouth dropped open a little bit. I was shocked. The World Race, Lord? Is that what you have planned for me? Are you serious?
My hour of prayer time was coming to a close and it was time to go to church. On the way to church, I told Grant what had happened. I was scared. I didn't want to leave for a year. Tears ran down my face as I said, "Grant, I don't want this to be what God calls me to. I'm not really the roughin'-it, backpackin' type of girl. I've met people like that and I'm just not one of them. I used to have all these romantic ideas about travelling and missions and stuff, but I don't anymore! I'm over it! I don't want to go!" But even as I said those things, I knew that, in the end, if God asked me to go, I couldn't refuse. I love God so much, and I know the pain of living outside of His will for my life. I don't ever want to walk in that place again, no matter the sacrifices involved in following Christ.
I prayed about it throughout that afternoon. The next morning, as I rose to pray again, I decided to fast for the day. I have never fasted food before. I always said that if something came up that I was truly desperate for an answer for, I would know it was time to fast. The time had come. I was desperate for God's direction, peace, wisdom, and clarity. Throughout the day, if I was not in class, I was on my own, praying, reading God's Word, and journaling. It was one of the most difficult and draining things I've ever done, but it also brought about the richest conversation I had ever had with the Lord. I brought Him question after question and He immediately responded to each concern, leading me to certain verses, speaking to me, and encouraging me that He had me in the palm of His hand and that His plan for my life would bring me good, not harm, and would give me a hope and a future.
The next night, as we rode to CrossFit, Grant and I were listening to a Pandora worship station. Each song seemed to be about following the Lord, sacrificing self, and reaching out to the world. I felt a stirring in my soul. Then, I felt the Lord speak to me in a very clear way. He said, "It's time. Come. I'm inviting you to come on this adventure with me. It's a choice, and you can choose to stay here, but you'll never experience me in the same way if you do. Your whole life, you've been singing songs and praying prayers about how you would go wherever I called you to go and do whatever I asked you to do. You've been telling me you didn't want a 'normal' life but wanted to be used in an extraordinary way. But you've also begun making plans for your future that are in line with a normal life– an internship, a job in Greenville, settling down immediately after college. You've been riding the fence between the two futures, the two lives. It's time to make a decision, Kaleigh. And I'm asking you to come." Again, the tears began to flow. I would obey. I would go. The Lord was extending a personal invitation to me, and I couldn't dream of refusing the offer to partner with Him and experience Him in a new and glorious way!
Two days later, I applied and within two weeks, I committed to leave with a team in September 2013. It has been a whirlwind, but I've never doubted that this is God's will for me. When God first put the world race on my heart, I was terrified and heartbroken. I didn't want to go. But God, in his infinite grace and mercy, has done a miraculous work in my heart. I can't wait to go now! He has promised me that I will experience Him in a whole new way for a year. I will have no one to rely upon but Him. I will be able to partner with Him and see how He is expanding His Kingdom in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, India, Nepal, Ukraine, and Romania. I will be able to pray for people all over the world and just be a vessel that is available to be used by God to meet whatever need He chooses to meet through me. I no longer see this as a burden or a sacrifice. It is a gift, an invitation from God, a proposal! He is asking me to come away with Him! I am so excited to love on people and be loved on by God for an entire year.
Thank you for reading my story and for taking an interest in what God is doing in my life. I long for this blog to be a place where I can share this journey with you and allow you to see what God is doing in my heart and around the world. I am praying for you, my reader, faithfully. May we both see the Lord more clearly as I embark on the next step in my lifelong journey as a follower of Christ!
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I will be raising $15,500 to cover the cost for this trip. If God lays it on your heart to help send me out by supporting me financially, click "Support Me" on the left to make a tax-deductible donation. Or, cut out the small online processing fee by mailing a check to:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
Checks should be made out to "Adventures in Missions".
***Put "WARDKALEIGH" in the info line of the check!!!!!***
