There are a few changes that are happening this month. I am so excited to see what God is doing in my life. He has given me an awesome opportunity this next part of the race to serve in a new way. This change has been coming and God is now bringing it to life. He began revealing this to me back in the Philippines.
He wanted to give me leadership.
I remember there was a specific time I was in prayer in the Philippines. I remember it because I felt God’s voice so strongly. He brought the word leadership to my mind. It was the funniest conversation that God and I had. I’ll try to reenact it for you.
I had my eyes closed and I saw God with His hands open. In His hands I saw leadership. He didn’t force it on me. He didn’t say you have to take this. It was more of, “Paige, what do you think about leadership?”
It was the strangest thing because I have never in my life thought about being a leader. Not me. I am not a leader. I was afraid at first.
“God are you sure you got the right person? I am not a leader. I don’t know how to lead people. I am not qualified. I don’t see myself as a leader.”
All these excuses and God sat there and listened to me, all the while He still had his hand open with this gift. He had made up His mind. His voice was so gentle, “Remember Child, I don’t call the qualified, I qualify the called.”
I was terrified. A part of me wondered if I was just daydreaming. Was God really asking me to be a leader? It can’t be!
I made up my mind. I might not think I am able to be a leader, but I was going to try. I might not get it all right, but God thinks that I am able, so I’ll give it a go. So as I sat there, I finally reached into His hand and grabbed it.
“Ok God, make me a leader. I can’t do this on my own. I am asking for your help, because without you I can’t do this. I love you. I trust you.”
I couldn’t believe the words that just came out of my mouth. I really just asked God to give me leadership. What?! Never in a millions years did I ever imagine this would come.
I knew after I finished praying that He was going to give me leadership in some sort of fashion. I didn’t know when or what it would look like. Perhaps it would be while on the race, or maybe after I got home. I just knew it was coming.
Fast forward 4 months. My squad leader, Hanna, came to visit our team while we were in Cambodia. Squad leaders are the leaders of our squad. They oversee how all the teams are doing, they are the ones to make decisions regarding teams. Hanna asked me what I thought about leadership. It was really cool that she asked. In that moment I knew the leadership God was going to bring me into. I knew He was calling me to lead a team. I got to share with Hanna what God spoke to me back in the Philippines. She was so encouraging to me and said that she could see all that God was doing in me and thought I’d be a great leader. No decisions were made, she just said they’d keep it in mind for the future.
Finally the end of the month came and we all gather together as a squad for team changes. I run into Hanna and she said she needed to talk to me for a second. I knew what was coming next. She pulled me into the room with all three of our squad leaders. They all had smiles on there faces and the asked the question that I knew was coming. “Paige, would you like to lead a team?”
My heart jumped, I was a little nervous. But I had the biggest smile on my face because God’s promise was coming to life. He was allowing me to become a leader. “Yes! I’d love to!”
There you have it, I have been raised up to a team leader. I am so excited for this new chapter in my life. I am so excited for the ability to serve in this way. I don’t really know what leadership looks like, but I am ready to learn. I know that with each step God is going to be there with me. I know this is His plan and I am so glad He choose me. I am humbled that He would use me to lead these people. I am honored that I have the opportunity to love these 6 women on my team. I am ready to see them grow, I am ready to rejoice in there successes and encourage them in times of disappointment. I am also ready to wait upon the Lord for where He want to lead this team.
We are pioneering a new country. We are going to Laos. It is a closed country which means we cannot say we are missionaries. Our goal this month is to find new contacts in Laos that future World Race teams can partner with. In order to do this we will have to fully reley on God to bring us to contacts that need help. I envision this month really digging deep in prayer.
I am so excited for this opportunity to serve my team, but more importantly serve God by leading this team.
God is so good. I am thankful that He believes in me. These last three months I have been reading in the Old Testament. I have been specificity drawn to a man that God made into a leader of a great nation. He, like me didn’t feel qualified when God first called him. This man I have been reading about is Moses. It has been cool reading his whole life story and seeing the transformation that God did in his life. If God can make Moses a leader, He can do the same in my life.
Pray for safety for our teams. Pray for good health. Pray for God to lead us to the people who need help. Pray that I will hear His voice and that I’d draw close to Him.
