I started a blog post a couple weeks ago about how I was doing with fundraising and how I was preparing for the Race. There was no motivation to finish the post for some reason, and I could not put my finger on the why.
But today I see it.
Today I see that I was putting myself and what I was doing, above God. It is super easy to get wrapped in the thought: “I’m doing this, look at how great I am doing” – but today and everyday; I want to put aside myself to tell you a long overdue story that rocked how I view fundraising and Jesus.
If you have not read my post titled “Follow the Prompt”, you totally should! It goes along with this weekend in Albuquerque, NM that I am about to explain.
**like I said previously about this being long overdue, I really mean it. But I don’t want you to lose the significance of the story because of my lack of motivation to write this**
On to the story:After a great weekend with my dad in ABQ, NM – it was time to return home. My dad and I being very similar in personality, got to the airport early. But we got there FOUR hours early… I was not a happy girl, and I almost missed a Holy Spirit encounter because I was annoyed with my environment.
Since there was so much time to spare, we made good use of it! My dad kindly started working and finding address to send fundraising letters out to. We sat at a big wooden table in the airport (aka the charging station), with headphones in, getting to work! I said a prayer I remember clear as day: “God, I don’t want to be in control anymore, I want you to take over. Please guide my steps and send the people, flood me with your Spirit.”
A gentleman sat down across from me with his laptop, we exchanged smile and went back to what we were doing. At this point, I had a sizable stack of letters sitting on the table as I was putting return address stickers on them. A couple minutes later, a woman came to the end of the table to see what seemed to be husband at the time. I had some things in the end chair, so I quickly moved those so she could sit down (still had my headphones in).
The she started talking to me. What happened after this shocked me to my core. She asked if I was sending out Christmas cards, it being early to mid December.
I said, “no ma’am, they’re actually fundraising letters!” and her eyes lit up. She then asked if I was a missionary or something, then I smiled at her and told her “well, not yet but I am going on an 11-month mission trip to 11 different countries, it’s called The World Race”. Then she said very boldly “Well, where’s my letter?!” I didn’t know what to do, so I grabbed the first one I could and handed it to her.
YA’LL. A STRANGER SAT DOWN, WAS GENUINELY INTERESTED IN WHAT I WAS DOING, AND ASKED FOR A LETTER + MORE.
Long story short: we had incredible conversation about the race and everything that comes with it, her faith, bodybuilding, her gym, my life and heart behind why I feel called to the race, she got a letter, she sent one to her parents, and got one for her husbands boss. How freaking cool is that?!
She told me that she and her husband had been praying for a specific place to send their end of year Christmas tithe; In that conversation, she looked at her husband and then said “we will meet you there, we believe in you!”
I really did not have many words to say except thank you. She and her husband were just such standup humans, incredible parents, and faithful + bold followers of Jesus. You know when Jesus radiates off of people and you can just tell? That’s how it was with this couple!!!
We talked so much, my dad and I almost missed our flight! oh well, so worth it to have an encounter like that.
That part of the story alone would be a great blog post, but I feel led to share the rest of the story.
I just want to start off and say: the amount of intimacy and detail that Jesus is, is overwhelming. He casts out fear, doubt and replaces it with pockets of joy, peace and calmness.
I got home and was so motivated to set goals, execute and keep going with this momentum I was feeling. Since late October – myself, Brittany and a few others had been praying to hit $10,000 on this fundraising adventure by the end of the year. There was little cards stating that exact prayer, stuffed into the envelopes to send out with the letters.
On December 27th, I was at the gym when my mom gave me a FaceTime call saying I got a letter sent in the mail, asking if she could open it. Well, aw be darned!!! It was a check for the Race from the Casella family! It was a $1,130 dollar check!
Their donation was the donation that pushed me over my goal of $10,000!
I shed some tears at the gym. No shame.
If your mind is blown like mine was, lemme recap real quick: God set a divine appointment up for me to meet the exact individuals I had been praying so hard for. The Casella family’s irrational generosity for the sake of The Kingdom, means more than they know to me.
Through being obedient in laying my control at the feet of Jesus, and praying with expectation, The Lord intervened and multiplied.
I am forever thankful for meeting Stephanie and Tony because they exude their love for Jesus, their family, and others.
Here is a picture of their beautiful family so you can put faces to hearts!
(I had permission to use picture, and talk about them in post)
Until next time,
Hig
