We all know what it feels like to get a song stuck in our head for days on end. We mumble it under our breath on the way to the kitchen, we hum it while we brush our teeth, we subtly nod our head to its beat as we sit outside.
Well, lately, I've had one particular line from a TobyMac song stuck in my head. It plays in my head over and over and over again. He sings:
"Every door you've opened up, I've stepped through."
That's it. That one little line plays over and over in my head. You think that it would drive me crazy, but it doesn't. It has become the anthem of my soul, and it's constant repetition is a stream of praise and thanksgiving.
If I could sum up my entire senior year, it would be with this statement:
God opened doors, and I walked through them.
If I could sum up my relationships with people I've been able to share Christ with, it would be with this statement:
God opened doors, and I walked through them.
If I could sum up how I have raised over $10,000 in less than four months, it would be with this statement:
God opened doors, and I walked through them.
And this past week, He did it again! Let me tell you about it…
One way people fundraise for The World Race is by seeking out speaking engagements in churches. The idea is that you ask the pastor if you can share with the church the story of how God called you to the race, how you are preparing, and what you expect you may do while you're gone. This is a fantastic way to invite people along with you as prayer warriors, blog followers, and financial supporters. I love public speaking (yes, you read that right and no, it's not a typo) and I have two wonderful church families where I would feel completely comfortable approaching the pastors about possibly doing this to spread the word of my trip… except for one thing. I didn't feel like God wanted me to ask them for the opportunity!
I had a willing heart but simply did not feel a nudge from God to pursue anything. Again and again, the opportunity presented itself for me to speak to my pastors here in Greenville as they asked me about my trip, the financial needs, and so on. But each time they spoke with me, I simply did not feel released from God to ask them anything. I didn't question God on it; I simply waited for Him to make a move or finally tell me to do so.
Then, last week, after I posted my latest blog, Pastor Russ (from my church here in Greenville) emailed me and asked if I'd be willing to share the story from my blog in church on Sunday. He wanted to have Pastor Dale interview me on stage so that my testimony could be an example of how God can use us in our everyday lives to witness and disciple others. I was so excited! God writes really awesome stories every single day, and I absolutely love telling those stories, whether in written word on my blog, in personal conversations, or with a microphone.
When Pastor Russ called me to prep for Sunday, he mentioned that while the story of my relationship with Yolanda was the focus for the morning, if we had time, Pastor Dale would ask me about the race so I could share a bit about that, too. And this morning, that is exactly what happened. Without me ever trying to pursue a speaking engagement, God just slung the door wide open and said, "Here you go, Kaleigh. I have arranged it for you to speak in church on Sunday. Not only will you get to talk about your race with the church, but you'll also get to encourage everyone to share the Gospel with people in their own lives." All I had to do was accept. He opened the door, and I just stepped on through.
In this season of my life, God has taught me a good bit about stepping through His open doors. Here are a few of the highlights:
1. His open doors are way better than any doors I could open myself. Oftentimes, I have a way in my head of how I could go about things and probably get some good results (be it sharing the Gospel, fundraising, or speaking engagements). And when God whispers "Wait, daughter," and I listen, the doors He opens in His timing are always, always, always far better than the best case scenario I had imagined for myself in the first place.
2. My need for Him doesn't stop once the door is open. Because I was up late last night at a concert, I had decided to sleep in this morning instead of doing my quiet time. In retrospect, I'm not sure why I decided this as it seems like an obviously selfish and unwise choice now. Well, this morning at 7AM, the alarm of the boy who lives above me began to beep (and beep… and beep… and beep). He was out of town so that buzzing noise was not going to stop. Of course, it was one hour before my own alarm was set, so I went ahead and got up to do my quiet time. By the end, God had led me to get on my knees and ask for the power of His Spirit to fill me today for whatever the day would hold. As I got to church and the reality and magnitude of what I would be doing on stage set in, I was deeply thankful that God had woken me up when I had selfishly chosen not to prioritize Him. Because I really, really needed His Spirit filling me up and flowing through me to accomplish what He had for me this morning. And I really needed to be with Him this morning in order for Him to prepare my heart. I mistakenly thought I didn't need His power once He opened the door, but I'm so glad He knows me better than I know myself and graciously provided a way for me to be filled with His presence first thing this morning.
3. Walking through the door requires surrender. When God lays it on your heart to share the Gospel with a friend over lunch, you will have to surrender your "right" to socially comfortable conversation as you bring up Jesus over your PB&J. You will have to surrender your pride as people stare at you for talking about the Holy Spirit over your open Bible during the busiest lunch hour in the Dining Hall. When God asks you to share what He's done in front of a church full of people, you will have to surrender the opportunity to sit and let someone else pour into you for the week. You will have to surrender the safety of your pew as you grab a microphone and speak up in obedience. Whatever the door is and no matter how excited your spirit is to walk through it, your flesh will go kicking and screaming. You have to be willing to yield to the Holy Spirit in order to walk through that door.
4. Allowing God to open the doors ensures that He alone gets all the glory. It's really incredible that I've received over $10,000 in four months but I can't take one lick of the credit. I haven't organized any creative fundraisers or boldly met with the leadership of the church. I haven't done anything but write some letters and maintain my blog which, lets be honest, is not enough to raise $10,000. Only God can do something that big. I can't receive any credit, and I am okay with that! It's way more fun to be a vessel for others to see God perform miracles than it is to do something where people can praise you for your success. I promise.
5. There is no greater joy than walking through a door that allows you to share the Gospel. For a long time, I saw evangelism as a burden or a duty. I saw my faith as a personal matter and didn't want to bring it up in conversations all of the time. The first time I had to share my faith was during my summer on Leadership Project with Campus Outreach. I was so nervous and definitely dreading it as we walked onto the beach and prayed for God to lead us to someone to talk to. I'll never forget the feeling after my roommate Alex Cocca and I shared the gospel on the beach for the first time. After we got off the beach, we hugged and jumped up and down and squealed and maybe even broke into a run. We were overflowing with joy! I now get that same joy every time God provides the chance for me to share the Gospel with someone else. I got that joy with Yolanda and I got that joy about sharing this morning as well. If you have been afraid of sharing your faith, please please please just give it a shot. There is literally no greater joy in all the world than introducing someone to the God who created them and is passionately pursuing them, and I don't want you to miss out on experiencing it for one more day.
Thank you, sweet Father, for open doors. I am humbled and amazed by how You are moving in my life. You love me in my details, and not only do You meet my needs, but You also fulfill the desires of my heart. Please continue empowering me for each door that You open. I need You every single day. May my life be a living testimony of the joyful, abundant life you offer to those who surrender their wills to Yours. Thank you for the opportunities You have given me to tell the stories You write to those around me. I love doing that. Thank you for the people You have placed in my life who support me and pray for me and encourage me and love on me. I see Jesus in them and that is a really beautiful thing. Thank you for the joy that comes from sharing You with others. Please give my readers the strength and courage to surrender their comfort and share You with those around them so that they can experience this joy for themselves. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done. I love you, I love you, I love you. Amen.
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I still have to raise $4,850.86 to cover the cost for this trip, so 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 3% online processing fee by writing a check to "Adventures in Missions" with "WARDKALEIGH" in the info line and mailing it to:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
