I went to bed really early tonight and I had just fallen asleep when I woke up to my phone going off- a Facebook friend and supporter of my World Race had messaged me. Very much out of the blue, she asked me to call her because she had a something she felt lead to tell me. What followed was a short but sweet conversation with an old friend about something I very much needed to hear. Such an unexpected blessing.
While thinking over our conversation, I realized how self-absorbed I have been about my trip. My race, from the day I signed up, has been about me, God, and the people I will be ministering to overseas someday. That’s it- and I think that is one of the reasons I have been called to defer.
Over the past few months, God has been showing me how He is using my trip to impact people here and now. When I signed up for the race, I knew I would need supporters, but I didn’t realize how people’s faith would be impacted.
- A friend taking a step of faith and sharing a word from the Lord.
- A woman at my church, who, because of a difficult history with international missions, hadn’t felt lead to personally support missions until she heard me speak about my World Race during a Sunday service. She was so excited!!
- A family member who shared how her child is finding his faith and how she is sharing with him what I am doing.
- So many people responding in faith and supporting me while trusting that God will provide for their needs.
- Children getting excited and asking questions about my race, planting a seed, perhaps, for their own missions work down the road.
None of this comes from me- it’s all from God. God is using my story, my tiny steps of faith, to enter into the stories of others and draw them closer to Him. The blessing I receive when someone tells me a story like this… it’s indescribable.
My original squad, B Squad, is preparing to launch in a little over a week… and while I do miss them and sometimes wish I was going with them, God has impressed upon my heart a larger missions field where I am presently and work He has for me to do here. In short, I’m not headed overseas now because there is still work to be done here.
I will keep telling anyone who will listen the story of what He is doing in my life, how good He is, and where He is leading me… because my story, really, is not about me- and it’s only worth telling if it brings Him glory.
