God is in the business of miracles. Not just thousands of years ago when Jesus walked the earth, but RIGHT NOW. Not all that long ago, I would have likely disagreed with you, believed in coincidences (because what else could they be?), and remember mentally rebuking a college friend who talked about miraculous healing on a mission trip to Central America, thinking she was crazy. Yet, I have come to see and experience God has "Miracle Maker" in his CURRENT job title, alongside many other titles. Don't get me wrong, too often I find myself too inwardly-focused and unable to recognize the miracles He sets up all around us all the time, but I do want to share with you all some of the miracles I've seen Him perform during this prep and support-raising season. I hope you enjoy them and praise God alongside me because of them!
1. My daily miracle: Hallie the Honda is an old car. She's a '98 Honda Accord, and has been THE BEST car I've probably ever had, perhaps just because I've made her last the longest… because I haven't wrecked her, that is. College and cars didn't go so well for me :-0, but thank the Lord I've gotten better in this area, and have had this car since summer or fall of 2005 (mid-way through college). She was bought USED with very little miles on it, extremely well taken care of, but since then I've put quite a bit on her, and the poor thing is starting to feel it. Despite the fact that she has been awesome, I've had on, off again problems with the starter since the fall. The first time we replaced the starter, but not too long after she started being temperamental again, and when I took her to the shop she worked for them every time they tested it. So it was a problem for a while in the fall, but then it got better and not gonna lie, I started to take it for granted again. Then, in the last 3 to 4 weeks, she has started to be finicky again, and there have been a couple occasions when she's just not "ready to go." When this happens, I just pray. I've started to pray about it everyday, as I walk to my car, as I get into her and put my stuff down, and as I turn the key in the ignition. And there is no doubt in my mind that the many times she has started is because He has turned her on for me. The first time it happened in months, I was just across the street from my apartment, but I tried numerous occasions with "no luck." I was about to walk home, but then I realized I wasn't praying about the situation, so I put my head on the steering wheel and just talked to Him about it. And a few minutes later, He started her like a CHAMP! The book I'm reading right now is all about prayer, and talks about how God needs to hear our prayers (if we have desires and wants, we intercede on their behalf), and we need to pray specific prayers. Well, that is exactly what I've begun to do with my car, and honestly I am so thankful for this little finicky, old car because she's bringing me closer to Him, as I have prayed and had faith that it would start. It's hard and frustrating at times.. to have a car that acts like that, but at the same time it is another way God shows up for me, because every time my car starts easily, I praise Him. When it doesn't, I pray through my wait, just letting her rest a bit before trying again. Also, the decisions I make based on this "problem" are really questions and decisions (about what routes to take home, or when to go grocery shopping) I should be asking myself even if I had a 2014 model car, so it's helping me be smarter in my choices! It sure doesn't stop me from living my life, and better yet I know every time I start my car that He loves me and is taking care of me, because He knows we just need it to keep on chugging until June or July! (safety note to those who may be horrified: Just because I trust in God over my car doesn't mean I'm not smart about things. I think twice about where I take it, always have my phone, don't take it anywhere at night when I'm not also going to meet someone, and when possible I go somewhere with a friend versus driving myself, and it still drives like a young one… it's only the starter that likes to be difficult on occasion!).
2. Monetary miracles large, small, and in between… my cup overflows: In less than seven weeks, God has taken me from 28% funded to 65%. This past Thursday, I received $2000 on that one day ALONE! And for most of these weeks, I have had the busiest season of my teaching career. So much so that I have virtually given no time to support-raising beyond prayer. IT'S ALL HIM, Y'ALL! Also, this past weekend over my Spring Break, I headed to Lubbock for a visit to see friends and family, but also with the hope that I would be granted the opportunity to speak at my grandma's Downtown Bible Class, a Bible study I grew up visiting with my grandparents since I was a little girl. The man who leads it is a long-time pastor, great man of God, and close family friend. It was so special to speak to the group, and they were so supportive. They are a non-denominational group that operates outside of a church, and they gave me a very significant donation of which I am so thankful, and then beyond that several members have individually given! Again, this wasn't me as I spoke for two whole minutes! So Lubbock Downtown Bible class members, I am so very thankful, blessed, and blown away by your giving, and know that I very much look forward to sharing with you the blessings and fruit that comes as a result of your selfless giving to this world race mission, to His world race mission. To those of you who may not be in any way associated with Lubbock or the Downtown Bible class but are faithfully giving and praying, I am just as thankful for you! You have each blown me away, and just like my Honda each day shows Christ's love and care for me, so too does your financial giving, prayer and encouraging words! I have "been beyond words amazed" at you and your selflessness, and I hope that through this blog you will be encouraged, and pray that your life experiences overwhelming blessing as a result of your support of what He is and will do in the nations because you gave as He called you to!
3. Future world racer there with me: I also had the opportunity to do some shopping for World Race while in Lubbock, and bought many items I needed at a local camping and hiking store, and God so knows me and how uncomfortable I am in this realm, and so what did he do? He gave me a cute, trek-knowledgeable female store clerk who just applied for the WR herself! She made several recommendations that were immensely helpful, and I was blown away by His mercy as He knows how this indecisive girl feels about making decisions on what two pairs of shorts/pants she should take with her for a year when you're crossing continents and experiencing rainy seasons, dry seasons, winter temps, hot temps, mountains, and deserts! Never really thought about how hard such decisions would be! So Hannah at Mountain Hideaway, thank you for being a part of this God story and I sincerely hope that your WR beginnings and support-raising seasons are as sweet as mine have been! I'm praying for you, girlie, and do let me know of ANY help I can be to you as you have NO IDEA how much I needed you then and there! Least I can do is somehow try to repay the favor 🙂
4. Create everyday opportunities, Lord!: And lastly, I have been reading through Mark Batterson's "The Circle Maker's 40 Day Prayer challenge" as a part of Lent, and early on he discussed how important it was to journal because "the shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory", and convicted, I wanted to kick myself for not keeping a journal from the moment I began this journey! I've never been good at this, so wanting this to change, I went and bought a new journal. I opened it up on the plane home and began writing in it. One of the prayers I wrote down was that God opens doors within everyday situations to share with people about my Race, and not ten minutes later the girl next to me asked if I was a journaler, and I was able to share that I wasn't but wanted to get better because I was prepping for a long-term mission trip where I would need to blog and thus get into the habit! On the next flight, she sat next to me again and we spoke a lot more, and she ended up asking me for my blog so that she could keep up with me! God is SOOO neat! He hears our prayers, indeed, and again reminded me how much I need to take the time to be a friendly face and be open. This new friend was exactly that, and so often planes are places where in our 21st century world, so many of us have the tendency to make eye contact once to ask if the seat is taken and then enter into our own little world until we touch down in our destination (Or is that just me??)! My new friend, C(arrie?; I'm so sorry as your name has now unfortunately escaped me), modeled exactly how we should be and reminded me how fun it is to be open and friendly in these places! I hope that I will remember to model this while on my world race, as there will be innumerable opportunities to share about me and simply "invest" in people on the planes, trains, canoes, buses, tuk tuks, ferries, rickshaws, taxis, motos, and automobiles I will find myself in/on during this 11 month journey. So thank you, C(arrie) from Dalhart, for being a wonderful and friendly face! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you, and hope I can be as warm, friendly and inviting as you were when I am on my World Race journey! God bless you and I will be joining you and fellow West Texans in prayers for rain!
I know these miracles are just the start, and that because I haven't been journaling since the start of my world race experience, I have probably forgotten and/or failed to recognize many others, but I gotta tell you it is fun bragging on our Lord! That said, I'd love to hear your God stories, whether you are a racer, prepping to be a racer, or just supporting us racers in some way! It's ALWAYS a great time to talk up our God and bring honor and glory to His name, and I SOO look forward to sharing more of His miracles with you throughout this journey!
Xoxo.
