I think one of the cool things about traveling the world is when you encounter places like coffee shops or restaurants that are Christian run and they play Christian music! I didn’t have a phone this month so I wasn’t able to listen to music freely like I would usually, but I didn’t need it because the Lord is flowing loud and clear in these places!
When I wrote this blog I was sitting at Buckle-Tip in Boquete, Panama worshiping and writing. I was all alone (which doesn’t happen much when you are on the World Race) but when it does it is so fruitful.
Cue first person writing because I’m going to copy what I wrote in my journal:
“It’s in these moments when I get to have a baby phone for emergencies and go off to sit with my Father that I treasure the most. The Lord is so present here and it’s amazing to sit and watch him work in each person that sets foot in this place. They may not know it, but there is a certain weightlessness about each person who comes in. Sitting, relaxing, enjoying their coffee and talking to each other. There seems to be peace in the air. The workers themselves possess a joy that is unexplainable. They are worshiping with each Hillsong song that comes on and I’m joining along side them. I am in a Spanish speaking country but they sing praises to the Lord in English! What a blessing! That is the Holy Spirit for ya!
When we walk through life with our heads up instead of down there is so much more we see and get to be apart of. We often look down whether that be at our phones, or because of feelings of unworthiness, or because we are too busy to look up, rushing around, the list goes on. We can be blinded to what is in front of us because of this. For me, personally, it is because my world revolves around the people who are behind my phone screen, unfortunately.
Well this month I had many new revelations (Not having a phone will do that). When we live our lives with a head up, mentality, we have the amazing opportunity to make an impact in this world. We miss so much when our heads are down. Trust me, life is so much better when you see it with your own two eyes!
It’s simply stopping and looking people in the eyes and being willing to love them where they are at. The lady in the Starbucks Drive-thru, the person selling produce at the market, blessing a family run business by buying something, or simply talking to the man sitting by you on the bus. I could go on but I think you get the gist. We can make an impact everywhere we go.
Here is the challenge: We have to have the right mindset each day. We can’t wish bad days away – we have to seek out the joy in the bad days. Happiness is different than joy. Joy is something you overflow in that comes from the Lord. Happiness is just an emotion. You can be joyful even in unhappy times. We have to count our blessings, smile and use the Joy of the Lord as our strength each day!
My point is that we don’t all have to be John Pipers to make an impact in this world. (I love John, don’t get me wrong).
If we show the love of Christ to one person each day of the year, that’s 365 people. Now think, what if each of them used the love you showed them to overflow into another person each day and so on! That’s a lot of people! That is how we spread Kingdom!
You do not have to be a missionary or a pastor or an evangelical speaker or whatever you think makes you “acceptable” to spread the joy and love of the Lord. As a son/ daughter of Christ, you are already equipped to impact the masses.
Look at Paul.
In Acts 13, Paul, who was previously Saul, had the Holy sprit fall upon him and he received a new identity, his new name. He was fully equipped because he had the Holy Spirit in him. The same thing happens to us when we accept Christ as our personal savior. We get a new name, mine is Mackenzie Christ, and with that comes the Holy Spirit! Paul lead thousands of people to Christ and he was a tent maker before he had Holy Sprit. He had zero ministry experience before Christ. In fact, he persecuted the Church!
There are plenty of other people I could use to prove my point but I want you to know one other thing. Despite the fact Saul persecuted the church, that did not stop the Lord from using him to bring glory to the Kingdom!
It doesn’t matter what your past may look like. Jesus came to redeem us and give us hope in more than one way. He came to give us eternity in heaven but also came to prove he is a merciful, loving, loyal father. Since day one we were created for a greater purpose. Our past sins have no effect on how the Lord will use us. In fact, he uses our mistakes for his Glory!
“So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose. For he knew all about us before we were born and he destined us from the beginning to share the likeness of his Son. This means the Son is the oldest among a vast family of brothers and sisters who will become just like him. Having determined our destiny ahead of time, he called us to himself and transferred his perfect righteousness to everyone he called. And those who possess his perfect righteousness he co-glorified with his Son!”
Romans? ?8:28-30 TPT
We are glorified! Now that is an amazing Father!“
If you have read this far, thank you! I hope you will take this and know you are where you need to be and the Lord will still use you where you are at.
Pick your head up. Be interruptible. Love one another.
~Kenzie
