Expectation, expectation, expectations….
Seems like everybody wants to know what I expect out of this trip and I suppose my short answer is I have no idea. I feel like if I say just a certain thing I put God in this box He has to work within and I don’t want to do that.
Now some would say you have to have an expectation otherwise you wouldn’t have signed up for the trip and well I suppose they are right.
Honestly, I expect God to show up and do big things and I expect to come back different then how I left.
But other than that I don’t have too many specifics that I expect.
I mean there are a few things I can expect and almost guarantee:
I expect to have sore muscles.
I expect to work very hard.
I expect to hate walking after an extremely long hike.
I expect to bleed because I always hurt myself somehow.
I expect to get dirty.
I expect to “shower” and do “laundry” in a lake or river.
I expect to meet some life-long friends.
I expect to eat some really weird things.
I expect to see poverty.
I expect to see hopelessness.
I expect to be frustrated.
I expect to be broken.
I expect to live beyond my means.
and I expect to cry many, many times.
All these are great and all but they’re also unimportant.
Let me explain.
Yes, these things are important as they serve as parts of a journey to change in my heart and life but they are also things that are just temporary. Things that will pass and not remain as they serve their purpose.
See I believe that there are many things that are going to happen but the only things I care to spend my time expecting is for God to work and to be changed so that I can love like He loves and serve like He serves.
See I know God can do amazing things and I am expecting Him to eradicate hopelessness, brokenness, and poverty. I’m going to see God’s love give hope, see brokenness restored to fullness through Christ and see people become rich in the Spirit.
I also expect myself to be different when I come back. I will see some passions get even stronger, wisdom and understanding growing, faith strengthened, love deepened, convictions broadened and desire to serve unending. I know I have a future in the ministry and I know God will use this experience in it. I don’t know how, but I also know He works in mysterious ways and puts things together way better than I could plan.
So honestly, when people ask me what I expect, all I really know to say is that I expect God to show up and move powerfully, amazingly and in all things and I expect to be very different when I come back. I can’t sum it up any better than that. I guess, just expect the unexpected because that’s what God does – He works outside of the box.
PS – I need your help! You’ve probably seen the green bar that runs across the top of the page – it tells you how far along with fundraising I am. Well thanks to God’s faithfulness and provision I am well on my way but I need you help me get the rest of the way. God calls people to trips such as this, but He also calls people to send us out. Maybe you are one of those very important people. Please consider sending me out. Thank you!
