“Aren’t you an occupational therapist? Won’t you miss your family and friends? Are you leaving your job and everything?…”
While living in Texas, I have flourished in my personal and professional life in more ways than I ever expected. I have grown into greater dependence on the Lord, deeper knowledge of His Word, and tremendous passion for seeing lives changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have developed beautiful friendships that will last, and fortified some that already existed. I have become more physically fit than before, reconnected with a former love for soccer, and have had regular outdoor adventures in beautiful landscapes. I get the privilege of being an active member of a life-changing bible study, and serving and growing in a thriving local church. I am immensely grateful for the opportunities to have layered my formal education with skills, certificates, and credentials I could not have imagined. God has given me many good gifts, even when parts of this season were hard, lonely, and painful. I say all of this not to brag, but to show off how good God has been to me.
So if all of this is true, then why would I leave? Why would I give it up? Why would I uproot from the place that supported me in becoming the woman I have always wanted to be? Why would I interrupt my career as a therapist, which I have dedicated so much of my life to being, and pursue this journey in foreign missions? A journey where I will experience great challenge and uncertainty.
The answer is that if this is what the Lord has for me, then pursuing this call of Jesus in the messy unknown is better than clinging to my comfortable life.
Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
If I believe this truth, then I believe that None of This is Wasted. I will not pretend getting to this place of faith has been easy. I reflect back on times where all I could do was hold onto to Him and His Word. I sing Him praises for securing me. My God has called me to everything in my past and present, and He equipped me along the way. I know full well He has plans to use every part of me and my story in the future A, and I will confidently step into a future where He goes before me. B
He is the One who brought me here, and He is the One who designed this. I see His fingerprints of grace all over my life. Bearing this in mind, why would I not follow where He is leading?
A Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
B Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
