Hello from month 11! It’s crazy to think that we have finally made it to our last country as X-Squad. We traveled the world and seen the kingdom come in so many different ways. We worked with and served refugees in Europe. We taught english and Bible stories in Asia. We evangelized and saw hundreds come to know the Lord in Africa. But now we’re in the Caribbean. We are so close to home, yet we are still in a culture that is so different from what we spent our lives getting used to. As you know, month 11 looks different. We are free to do what we feel led to do. We are free to find ministry where we want, and to seek out opportunities for ourselves.
Which leads me to yesterday. I have had the privilege of connecting with someone from a near by church and getting to help with some ministries through that. I will probably get to be a part of a mission conference, I got to go to a special needs facility and hang out with some of the kids there, and I got to go to an old folks home and pray with the residents and just offer them a simple smile… Today though, I am doing none of those things. I woke up today with a deep desire and hunger to do whatever it is that the Spirit is telling me to do. Most of the time, the Spirit tells me to go somewhere or talk to someone, to evangelize, or to simply share Jesus by buying someone a meal but today was different. When I asked what He wanted me to do today He told me to just sit in His presence. To reflect on His goodness and grace throughout my trip, and to dig a little deeper in the lessons he has taught me in the past.
If you know me, then you know this can be hard for me. I’m an extravert. I want to be out there sharing the love of Jesus, whether that be through street evangelism or random acts of kindness. Sitting still is one of my biggest struggles, ESPECIALLY in different countries. But through sitting in God’s presence yesterday I got to reflect on the man that showed up to training camp almost a year ago, and the man that sits behind this laptop today.
The man that showed up to the Atlanta airport last year was insecure. Insecure about who he was and how he looked. He wasn’t confident in his identity, he was just confident in the fact that he loved Jesus and wanted to give up his whole life to show that. The man at the airport knew that he had passions and fears but didn’t necessarily know what they were. He was full of happiness but most of the time wasn’t filled with true joy. The man at the airport was someone who didn’t know what he was actually signing up for.
The man sitting behind this laptop is a completely different story. He is confident in his identity as a son of the king, and as a bondservant to the most high. He knows his spiritual giftings and tries to walk in them daily. He knows with certainty the passions that God has put on his heart, and desires to walk in those throughout his life. He knows what it means to fear the Lord instead of man. He walks in joy everyday rather than temporary happiness because he realizes what a gift God gave.
The conclusion I came to as I was sitting and reflecting was that His mercies are new everyday. I did not do this race perfectly… Nowhere near it actually, but it doesn’t matter because the Holy Spirit met me daily where I was at and told me that it didn’t matter. HE LOVES ME ANYWAYS. The man that showed up at the airport a year ago didn’t know or believe that, but the man sitting behind the laptop sure does.
I know that He loves me. I know that His mercies are new daily. I know that he will lead me through any trial or temptation.
And that brings me to the title of this blog… What does this have to do with passions?
As I reflected on the race yesterday I realized that something that I grew in exponentially was my passions. Before the race I knew about two passions with confidence. The passion for people and the passion for Jesus and making his name known. By now, I have been to 10 different ministries around the world, and experienced even more cultures than that… Which revealed to me other passions I didn’t even know were there.
This year my passion for people grew into specific people groups. I went from knowing nothing about the religion of Islam to being passionate about loving it’s people. I went from knowing nothing about refugees to having a passion for helping them and seeing them have abundant life outside of their country. I went from loving kids, to knowing that the Lord has given me a gift and passion for raising up the next generation of Godly leaders. Lastly, I knew that I loved other cultures, but this year I became passionate about immersing myself in them and living life with them.
I don’t know where these passions will lead me or how they will affect the trajectory of my life, but I do know that these are passions that God has placed on my heart for a reason. I know he wants to work in and through these passions throughout my life, I just have to give a simple yes.
More than anything, on the race I have became passionate about just that. Giving my yes each and everyday. There is nothing that cannot shake these passions, and my love for Christ if I just a simple yes to him and his promises daily, and I challenge you to do the same.
Thanks for reading!
In Him,
Caleb Callaway
I am fundraising again to go back out on the field for nine months to lead a group of 18-20 year olds on the same journey I went on! If you feel led to donate hit the orange button at the top!
