(snow melting on the mountains of Mongolia)
I have been learning a lot about what it looks like to not only give my all in serving but also what it looks like to live with a long term mindset. There have been some days that God has just asked me to stop and have fun with Him. One of the ways that He has done that is providing opportunities to go see Shazam, End Game, and Aladdin in theaters (I highly recommend each of them!). The world race has this phrase: Life is ministry, ministry is life; which has been so interesting learning to see the two as one instead of spending time “doing” ministry and then going back to my normal life.
This has prompted some interesting questions for me:
What does it mead to live a long term missional life style?
What is the definition of being a vocational missionary and how does that differ from the definition of being a “normal” Christian?
And (slightly humorously) am I ever going to have a real schedule again?
I was rereading a book called Bruchko last month which is about a 19-year-old young man who God called to buy a one-way ticket to go share the Gospel to primitive Indians in the Colombian jungle… alone! In reading that I felt God asking me the question what would happen if He asked me to trust Him like that. My initial thought was fear. “But Lord, I am not very good at planning things like that.” I also realized that I have been putting my trust in the people who are planning the Lord’s trips instead of the One who called me to follow Him wherever He leads. Please be praying that God gives me wisdom on what that looks like and how to trust Him more fully.
I had gotten so used to God saying that the time had not yet come for the things that He had said He was calling me to in the future. I realized a few days back that I am now living in the future that I have been praying about for so long but I am not quite sure what it looks like to walk out this calling. I had gotten so used to a life with seasons and set times of serving that I don’t quite know what to do with the YES that God has given me to live out.
I realized that even though the direction God is beginning to lead me into is kind of scary with it’s lack “rule” and leaders “guarantying success”, it’s where I really want to be.
Which brings me to a question for all of us. Are you in a season (/maybe just surviving this season) or are you living a lifestyle? Do you love where you are at or are you are you just doing this until your “real” hopes and dreams come along? Do you want to be doing this 10 to 20 years down the road? I find it so easy to just keep pushing hard in the moment and never stop to ask myself if this is what I really want to be doing with my life.
Who has God made you to be and are you afraid of risking walking in that identity? What would happen if we as the Church were really willing to risk everything? Can we please pray together and do this as a family of believers? Are you willing to ask God to show you the parts of His will scare you when you see them? I want to live a life that I choose to take my risks with my future on earth instead of taking my risks with what heaven will look like (store up for yourselves treasure in heaven). I don’t want to stand before my Heavenly Father and Friend to lay my life story at His feet and wish that I would have trusted Him more and have laid it all down for the One who laid it all down for me.
I would love to hear what God might be saying to you on this matter. It means so much to read your comments on this blog!
Also, incase you haven’t noticed, I AM FULLY FUNDED!!!!
Thank you all so much for your support!
Lastly let me finish with some prayer requests and pictures:
Our travel plans are getting rather complicated for getting to Azerbaijan please pray for wisdom.
Also please pray for my teammates who are still fundraising.
and lastly please pray that I seek God above all else and keep on drawing closer to Him.
(our hostel room in Ulaanbaatar that we had 6 people in)
Our nomad hosts in Mongolia
Old City Kashgar, China
