I was talking to a friend earlier this week and she said, money is like nothing to God. And she’s right. To God, money is nothing. It is merely a tangible way for God to bless us so we can bless others. In God’s kingdom, money is worthless, but for me, to raise so much money, was equivalent to moving a mountain. But then, isn’t that what God is known for? A dollar, a mountain, a healed bone; it’s all the same to Him. I say $17,000, God says, piece of cake. Friends and family, I am FULLY FUNDED! And it’s because of people like you who believe in what God is already doing and what He is going to do around the world. Thank you for providing the means for the Lord to work. Thank you for giving so generously that it left me without words and continuous tears in my eyes.
At first, the thought of raising nearly $17,000 seemed daunting and unreachable. I would tell people how much I needed to raise and they would look at me in astonishment, or laugh, or question my sanity. But because of those responses, it sparked this excitement in me to prove to them the mighty God I’m serving- the God with no limits. Seth Barnes* said it himself, “I started to see every challenging situation not as an insurmountable obstacle I had to tough out, but a chance to demonstrate faith.” That is exactly what this humbling process taught me. I asked God for his help and he heard my cries. The only control I had in this process was choosing to trust God or not. I learned what it looked like to surrender in a way that trusted God in the unknown, in the doubts, in the emptiness. To me, $17,000 seemed equivalent to moving mountains. Yet, God showed me that no matter how much my flesh tries to measure his power, the only way to see his plan unfold is by complete dependence on him.
And need I remind you that I like to have control. I don’t like asking for help or depending on anyone else for things. But again, from the wise words of Seth Barnes, “When we don’t surrender, we’re faced with an unpleasant reality: that we may be hypocrites. We proclaim that Jesus is Lord and that he gets to call the shots in our life; however we stubbornly still cling to our own rights and expectations.” And for anyone who knows me, they know I’m as stubborn as they get. I like to play it safe and give 98% to God but keep that 2% to myself “just in case” He doesn’t show up. He quickly showed me what good that does…NOTHING. God wrecked the walls I had up with him, he shattered the earthy expectations I held, and he freed me from the doubts I had of the God who raised the dead to life. This process left me with nothing but Jesus and it doesn’t get any better than that.
God showed me that he brings people in our lives to be a blessing to us and to be a tangible gift sent directly from the Lord. He showed me that it’s okay to rely on other people, and that every single person who has played a role in this journey has a purpose. So to the stranger in the restaurant, thank you. To the anonymous donors, thank you. To the lifelong friends, thank you. To the family-friends, thank you. To the people I met at Ball State, thank you. To ALL my family members, thank you. To the neighbors across the street, thank you. To the people I’ve never met, thank you. To the old high school friends, thank you. To the college sorority sisters, thank you. To the spiritual mentors, thank you. To the people I’ve worked with and for, thank you. To the corporate sponsors, thank you. To the church, thank you. To the ultimate provider, healer, and savior Jesus Christ, THANK YOU.
Thank you for your overwhelming amount of support. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, by your gifts, you are partnering with me on this journey, you are coming along side of me and giving hope to the hopeless, freeing people out of bondage, bringing love to the forgotten orphans, and making disciples of His nation. Some people are called to GO and some people are called to SEND. Thank you for sending me out and believing in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is not just my journey, but yours too! And I hope that one day, roles will be reversed, and I can send out others on their kingdom journey. Through your gifts and prayers, the Lord revealed to me the hearts of his people and the desires to serve Him and only Him. Each and every one of you have been a significant milestone in my walk with the Lord and have taught me so much as to what it looks like to honor the Him. In God we have everything. We should focus more on the Giver than the gift. Your kind gifts are a reason to rejoice, not because they are the source of joy, but because every good thing comes from God.
Words will never do justice the gratitude and appreciation I have for every single one of you. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
With Love,
Alexa
*Seth Barnes: Founder of Adventures in Missions. All quotes from his book, Kingdom Journeys: Rediscovering the Lost Spiritual Discipline*
