This word, suffer, has been shown to me over and over in this season of growth. I have been asking God why this word has been such a recurring word, either in my bible or in my life…and then it clicked. I don’t think He was trying to tell me to suffer for Him. I think He was trying to tell me that I am sufferING.
My life thus far has been a state of suffer, but not the kind of suffer where you see joy in the midst, not the kind of suffer where God is at the root of it all, but that selfish kind of suffer. That kind of suffer where you aren’t suffering for Christ, but you are suffering inside yourself. Who would do that to themselves?? Who would put themselves through a constant state of suffer, with no joy, and no God?
Meet my two friends…comfort and fear. Two things that are absolutely not rooted in Christ. Two things that so many people SUFFER with on a daily basis. The cool thing about God, though, is that He does not want to see you stuck in this state, He wants to help you in any way He possibly can because he LOVES YOU. And it is about time I break free of this suffer cycle I have been on! So God gave me the World Race. At first I was extremely uncomfortable by the idea (what a shocker for someone living in comfort) and frightened by the thought of going on a trip for 11 months. I fought back and forth with whether I was fit for the job. Then the word came up again. Suffer. I was so darn sick of seeing that word. That word was not going to define me and was not going to stop my growth with Christ. So I took a leap of faith and to my surprise I feel such an overwhelming peace. For a moment I feel like I am not suffering anymore. In this moment, I feel joy, such an unspeakable joy because I am not allowing comfort and fear to cause me to suffer from a complacent heart.
I want to live a life so full of faith and so full of Christ that when people look at me, listen to me, or read about my journey they have to think that there must be a power greater than this world. A power so much greater than our comfort and our fears. That there must be a God and that God exists. Because quite frankly, life is too short and there are too many people who have never heard the name of Jesus.
So goodbye to my not so friendly “friends”, and hello to my season of reckless yeses! I’m ready to love on Jesus, I’m ready to love on people, I’m ready to love on my squad, and I am so ready to not only step out into the beauty that Christ has to offer me on this race, but I am also ready to suffer FOR my God instead of suffering inside myself. So get ready for a whole lotta love route 2!
And on THAT note, I need a whole lotta love from all of you guys in order to help me raise enough money to fulfill this plan God has for me! For those of you who do not know what this trip entails, it is 11 countries in 11 months with just a backpack as I spread the love of Jesus. On this trip I will be sharing hope with recovering victims of human trafficking, working in children’s ministry in areas like Swaziland, where 40% of children are orphaned, and praying against spirits in cultures steeped in ancient tribal traditions. I will be going on route 2 and I will be leaving in October of 2018. I need all the support I can get to help me reach my goal of $18,200. The money will cover my housing, travel, food, and medical insurance.
Prayers are also needed as I go into this new season of discomfort. Not only for myself, but for my squadmates, who are also preparing themselves to go on this race.
I can’t wait to go on this journey with all of you! Squad, super stoked to meet you, I love you already.
