We cannot do this . . . we cannot make a difference. In our last blog I expressed how I had been feeling stressed about everything we must do now to prepare for the World Race and everything we must do while we are on the World Race. However, God has been hugging me close as He renewed my spirit with Bible stories, scripture, and blogs.
In the last blog I touched on the Bible story of how Elijah was commanded by God to build an altar and wait for God to show His glory by sending fire. Elijah was just as helpless as James and I are to make any change on our own. But as Elijah stared at 450 prophets of Baal and a water drenched altar he knew that our God has a flamethrower. All we have to do is go out with our small candle and wait for God to blow us away.
The other comfort that God has provided for me is a flooding of scriptures. There are so many I do not think I can touch on them all in this blog without boring you, but I will do what I can.
As I worried about what I was going to pack and how I was going to survive in 11 different countries . . .
“You have been raised up with Christ. So think about things that are in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God’s right hand. Think about things that are in heaven. Don’t think about things that are only on earth. You died. Now your life is hidden with Christ in God. Christ is your life. When he appears again, you also will appear with him in heaven’s glory.” – Colossians 3:1-4
We cannot make a difference . . . unless we learn to focus on heaven’s glory. During a recent spiritual retreat one of my friends pulled out a shirt she had recently bought. The front of the shirt begged the question “What is the one thing you can bring with you to heaven?” As I pondered the answer she turned around . . . the answer was stunningly simple. “Other People.” Think about the things that are in heaven. . . .You died. Now your life is hidden with Christ . . . You also will appear with him in heaven’s glory.
I hope to appear in heaven’s glory with as many other people as I can. So as I am worried about what I am bringing along in my backpack I have to remember that this trip is really about the things of heaven, the things that will bring God glory, and the people that we can bring with us to heaven. Don’t think about things that are only on earth.
But there are still days I want to argue with that verse, when all I can do is think about things here on earth. I am tired! I want to pack all of my cute shoes! I am going to get sick. We are probably going to get head lice. I may be hungry for a while. I may have to eat food I do not like. I may have weeks where I feel useless. What if I get bored during the days were I feel like we have too much downtime? What will I do without the internet? My list of questions and complaints go on and on. And then this verse showed up.
“We don’t give up. Our bodies are becoming weaker and weaker. But our spirits are being renewed day by day. Our troubles are small. They last only for a short time. But they are earning for us a glory that will last forever. It is greater than all our troubles. So we don’t spend all our time looking at what we can see. Instead, we look at what we can’t see. That’s because what can be seen lasts only a short time. But what can’t be seen will last forever.”- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
We cannot make a difference . . . unless we allow God to renew our spirits every day. 11 months really is really not that long. And if I have a bad month, well one month really is not that long. If I stop and think about it, my life, in comparison to history is not that long. And in comparison to eternity, I am not even a speck. God’s glory will last forever, and we get to live in that glory with Him!! There is an eternity that we cannot see, one that is so glorious that we cannot comprehend it.
It is for that eternity and that glory that we have to try and live for. James and I will only be here for a short time, but we will get to worship God for all eternity in bodies that will NOT be getting weaker and weaker. But while we are in these bodies we must live for that eternity.
One more verse . . . this one helps me with words that I want to say to you. I will borrow Paul’s words to the Philippians as my words to you.
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart . . . all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:3-8
We cannot make a difference . . . without you. I want to be able to do this on my own. I really do. My human nature fights God all the way, and I am slowly, ever so slowly, learning more and more that I cannot do this without Him. However, we also cannot do this without the support of our community. James and I believe that staying the U.S., having a job, and raising a family is just as important as traveling overseas. God calls each one of us on our own adventure. He gives each of us our own role to play.
I am usually the one who is supporting others. Some of the gifts that God has given me is the gifts of knowledge, faith, and giving. Seriously, if any of you are ever raising money for anything my heart will always want to give! However, in this season God is teaching me how to allow others to give to help us. My pride is taking a blow day by day as I watch more and more people eagerly and excitedly join us on this mission, by keeping their feet firmly planted here while their support helps us through 11 countries full of people who need to feel God’s love.
We will miss our family and friends while we are gone. We will long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus, but we still feel like we must go. We will take you with us, in our hearts, and we will come back to you (hopefully after adding more brothers and sisters in Christ to our eternal celebration with God!).
