So I'm at work tonight, Express, mindlessly folding clothes (because that's what you do when you work retail, fold clothes and help people choose the best coupons to use; people are crazy when it comes to their coupons) okay, so I'm folding clothes and of course my mind wanders over to the World Race. I find myself daydreaming about it A LOT..but for some reason tonight it really hit me that I [could potentially, God willingly] WILL be gone 11 months!!
Now, I'm sure most of you are thinking 'uh, duh kip, you're just now realizing this', but my mind tends to work at a different rate then the 'normal' person so it really hits me what 11 months is going to look like.
In an 11 month time frame:
1. Lacey and Brad could conceive and HAVE a child!
and I would miss the entire pregnancy!
…I would find out she's pregnant overseas and come home
and there would be a new member of the family!
…now, that's just crazy to me..
2. Hallie is going to be in the 7th grade when I leave
and I come home and she's already in the 8th!!..
I'll be missing out on an entire year of 7th grade drama. ha.
3. (Now this one I don't really care about)
I'm going to leave 23-years-old and come home 24
..what I do care about is that I'll miss out on
Gram's scrumpdillyicious strawberry cake!
It's truly uh-maze-zing!
4. (Okay, number 4 brought me physical pain when it dawned on me)
I didn't even consider that I'm going
to be gone on my absolute favorite holiday!
..THANKSGIVING..
Seriously, I look forward to the next Thanksgiving
the day after Thanksgiving happens…sigh
5. And lastly, the realization that the longest
I've been apart from my family is only 2 months..
and about after day 10 if I didn't skype home every
other day I got really depressed and homesick… I'm so lame …
(but my fam is my #2 on the list of essentials to life.)
Now, all of this is very eye opening, however, about halfway drawing up a mental timeline of what will be evolving in little ol Oklahoma while I'm on the other side of the world, it dawns on me, are these really my thoughts? Or are these the thoughts of the devil trying to creep into this mind of mine?
I know most of my squad mates have been attacked lately, and honestly it makes me even more excited to see that whatever God is brewing in all of us that the devil isn't very happy about it.
So I came to the conclusion, yes, I will be missing out on what's happening in my family's lives (and their amazing cooking) for 11 months, but Christ sacrificed his son for me, I have no problem leaving everything and allow a measly 11+ months pass me by while I'm doing His work. So, boo-yah you nasty Devil-this girl came bearing her armor today.
So this is for everyone: remember to bear your full armor of God daily! because:
"..If God is for us, who can be against us?"- Romans 8:31
Just to brush everyone up on their armor of God:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your
stand against the devil's scheme. For our struggle is
not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms Therefore put on the full armor of
God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be
able to stand your ground, and after you have done
everything,to stand.Stand firm then, with the belt of
truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate
of righteousness in place,and with your feet fitted
with the readiness thatcomes from the gospel of
peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of
faith, with which you can extinguishall the flaming
arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word ofGod.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds
of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and
always keep on praying for all you brothers & sisters."
– Ephesians 6:10-18
