I don’t know why, but I have been avoiding writing this blog. Probably because the Lord wants to speak through this. Case and point, I was journaling the other day and I’m pretty sure my first line was “Lord, I have nothing to say to you today” which turned into 5 pages of heart diarrhea… beautiful mess 🙂 So here goes:
Our ministry contact in Ireland, Liesel, was one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met. She spoke some amazing words into my life one night. She said: ‘You are a giver. You are always helping, doing, serving. I see you someday waking up with nothing left. From what I can tell, you are giving out of overflow, I don’t know. But be careful because you could wake up with nothing, having given everything.’
Now having known this woman intentionally for one day, I commend her insight and wisdom and honesty because this fits, though I’ve never before seen it that way. As we’ve been taught in training camp, service should always be out of overflow of what the Lord is doing in you and how you are being ‘filled up’ otherwise yes, you will wake up with nothing. Liesel’s words have challenged me, to watch how I’m serving and watch how I’m being filled up. How do I fill up? Well, I’m finding that out.
Liesel with another one of the leaders, who I also adore
The World Race is a different culture. It’s a culture of give and take, and giving some more. It’s a culture of sacrifice not only for the people you are serving but your teammates. It’s a culture of ‘preferring’ each other. It’s a culture of ‘giving up your rights’ realizing that our rights that we had in America are NOT international. That being said, it’s a balance of being filled up by the Lord, self-sacrifice, serving each other above yourself, but always giving out of overflow. When I serve or give, I have to evaluate where it’s coming from otherwise I WILL wake up with nothing.
The other amazing quote I heard and have experienced already is: When circumstances squeeze your heart, its what comes out that matters. Talk about heart diarrhea! When life doesn’t go as planned, when the storm around you is raging, what is your reaction? What comes out? Sorry to be graphic, but it can come out like diarrhea, uncontrolled, sometimes messy. That is honestly what freaks me out so much about this race. There will be circumstances, there will be times that will challenge my heart like its never been challenged. I get scared of what will come out when those circumstances do arise.
Challenge to my blog readers: How are you serving? Are you serving out of overflow of what the Lord is doing in your life and being filled by Him? Are you being filled by Him? Have you woken up empty? How are you being filled? What comes out when circumstances squeeze your heart?
Thank you Leisel for your thoughtfulness, your kindness, your love, your words of wisdom, and for setting the bar so high for our World Race experience.
fill me up God!!
