Right before I left for camp my mom asked me if I wanted to go to Arkansas to help clean up my great grandma’s house and farm because she had recently passed away. After explaining that I would be traveling 8 hours and doing hard manual labor, my response was “uhmmmm, no.” I knew we would be going right after training camp and I would be sore and exhausted and ready to sleep in my own bed with air conditioning for a while before I have to give up that luxury when I leave for the World Race.
Then the Lord changed my heart.
During one of our alone times at training camp, God asked me what I was most afraid of. I instantly broke into tears at the thought of losing my family. It is by far my greatest fear in life. So the thought of leaving my family, not being able to see them and not being able to control what happens to them, while I am not able to come home for a year, makes me nauseous.
God then asked me, “Do you trust me?”
I responded ,”Yes God, BUT…”
He inturpted me and asked again, “Do you trust me?”
I again responded , “Yes God BUT…..”
This happened several more times before He said to me, “you trust that I am going to keep you safe while you are gone for a year in countries that are dangerous and potentially illegal to be a Christian in. You trust me to keep you safe. Do you not think I love them just as much as I love you and that I will keep them safe just as I will do for you?”
DANG GOD, YOU RIGHT!!! It finally made sense and I immediately felt a peace come over me.
In that same moment God revealed to me that I love my family so much that losing them is my greatest fear, yet I won’t lay down my self to go be sweaty and sore and serve along side of my family at my great grandma’s farm. How selfish.
Thats when I decided I was going to go serve along side my family in Arkansas. AND I WAS AMAZED AT WHAT GOD SHOWED ME.
From the moment we got there to the moment we left, there was nothing but love and thankfulness overflowing from everyone present.
We tore down, scraped paint, re-carpeted, painted, cleaned, cooked, sorted, chainsawed, burned, got ticks, chiggers and stung by wasps, ALL TOGETHER.
We also sat around listening and sharing stories about Mamma and Papa. Laughing and enjoying each other’s presence. Telling of all God has been doing our lives.
GOD REVEALED TO ME THAT WE WERE AUTHENTICALLY BEING THE CHURCH!
We were coming along side each other to love and serve and encourage each other. We were growing and building each other up in faith. We were growing in intimacy with Christ. We were being the church.
I was blessed to be able to capture some of the moments from us serving this week as well as some of the stories about my Mamma and Papa.
This is my family. This is my heritage. We love Jesus. We love each other. And we are the church!
Enjoy!
