The Answers that were given…
Yes, I said the Answers that were given, you see when you ask the Lord for answers there are a few options… yes, no, not now… They might not be put in a neat very audible YES or NO or NOT YET… But you will get an answer, and the Lord provides them in many ways. He can’t be limited to the simple yes and no words, He is the creator of the world, give Him some credit for being Creative…With that being said, in searching out the Lord and His will for my life I can think of at least four separate times where the Lord was speaking to me about this opportunity, wanting me to put aside my plan and follow His plan to go on the World Race…
#1
So in my researching I came across a video of a guy packing his bag for the world race. Hediscussed things to take and things not to take… Per your usual packing list, he listed tent, sleeping bag, clothes, brush, bible, pens notebook, etc… When he got to shoes he was like…
“All you really need are Chacos… They’re durable, they are good for walking, they can get wet…”(He did go on to mention that if you where a runner, you should bring tennis shoes, oh and don’t forget shower sandals…) At this point in time I’m like well that’s it…that’s the answer… so I show my roommate the video and we laugh over it and move on… I’m like, “I can’t go…I don’t have a pair of Chaos…and they are really expensive to try out to see if I even like them, to potentially go on this World Race mission trip.”
So we go to church that Sunday night and it’s a normal night like any other night,the only person who knows about my looking into the world race at this point is my roommate. A group of us Women were walking out together… One of the women, Vicki, sees another lady, Sarah Jordan wearing Chacos and asks her if she likes her Chacos. Sarah Jordan, replies yes I do I love these, I’ve had them since High School. Vicki then proceeds to say, She tried them and they don’t fit her right, she asks Sarah Jordan what size shoe she wears. Sarah Jordan says size 9.5, and Vicki’s says, well I have a pair of 8’s that I am giving away. Vicki then looks back at me, behind her and asks me directly, “Mallory what size shoe do you wear?” I said I wear an 8 and she asks me if I want them. I say sure! I look over at my roommate and she gives me that sassy look as if to say… “Girl, Now you gotta go, can it be any more clearer?!?!” I’m like Lord, is this a sign, the guy on the video praises these shoes, saying they are all you need!?! Does this mean I need to go…
Chacos = Go
#2
In this process of seeking the Lord, I talk with multiple friends, fellow believers and get them to pray with me on this decision, to ask the Lord for clarity. So I’m talking with my Best Friend, Mary, about this program and she is drilling me, asking me the tough questions, making sure my heart is in the right place. Some including, Are you doing this for the right reason? What is the purpose of 11 Countries, why not one? Why can’t you plug into what you are doing in Charleston?
After we discussed these questions and many more, she sent over a sermon on decision making with the Lord! The seven steps to decision making with the Lord! I’m listening to this sermon and 6 steps are straight up confirmed and then I get the the seventh toward the end and this verse Ephesian 5:15-17(NIV) is shared,
“15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
This is a group of verses that I have been recently going over with the Lord. Seeking His wisdom and guidance on what His will is for my life. So I’m asking the Lord, does, “making the most of every opportunity,” mean I should go…
#3
So the next Wednesday at Church, after this conversation and after I listened to the sermon on decision making. A few things happen that I felt the Lord pushing me/smacking me upside the head with the metaphorical 2×4!
1. The Preacher, preached on asking What God is calling you to do?
2. Vicki shared her story, talking about growing in the Lord during her single stage in life…
3. The musician played and we sang, “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go…”
Let’s just talk a minute about how these three things effected me,
1. I’m in the process of asking the Lord, yet at the same time being stubborn and not listening to what He’s saying, He wants me to do… So to hear someone preach and ask What is God calling you to do? literally caused me to have goose bumps…
2. Vicki, relaying her story of growing in her singleness and to see where she is at now, I’m blown away…Because I’m just coming out of this season of growth, in my social media fast, my being comfortable in my singleness, because my Identity is in the LORD!
3. We normally don’t sing this song, very often… plus, I grew up singing this song a lot at the end of a service at church… and if I’m being honest I always sang it, but didn’t really pay attention to the words, the meaning of the song and such… But here I am and He’s calling me to Go…
As before, with the combination of these three, my roommate stares me down across the room…
What else can I say but I think He’s telling me to Go…
#4
Have I mentioned that I’m stubborned! Well I am, so at this point its May 7th, I’m visiting another local church, because our home church wasn’t meeting that night… The preacher was sharing on the story of Thomas, nicknamed “doubting Thomas”. He tells the story of Jesus showing and allowing Thomas to touch his wrists and his side…Then Thomas believes and is bold in his Faith!
A few points that where brought up from the story:
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, just seek out the Answers from the correct source!
If you know me, I like to ask questions, its how I learn… but also, I’ve been asking the
question for a while now… “what do you want me to do Lord?”
2. Don’t miss “this time” because of “last time…” God’s working right now! We serve a God who
is I AM!
Am I going to miss the opportunity to be used by God, because of not listening before?
3. When you believe its just the present tense… the beginning … of being used by God!
When he said these words I got chills, because I truly believe God shared this message for
me to hear!
So here’s the question:
Are you willing to lay your stuff down & pick up the cross & follow him &
