This last week, my team attended a women’s event at a bilingual church called Shoreline. We got connected with this church through the Adventures in Missions base team that is permanently on staff in Antigua, Guatemala. This team by the way is an incredible group of men and women that we’ve had the honor and privilege of spending some time with and being poured into by them.
The event we attended was called Sisterhood, a movement of everyday girls who are passionate about bringing Heaven to Earth. We invited the teachers at our ministry site, CANI, to come with us. Our ministry contact Gabee and her younger sister Sofia who work at the school ended up accepting the invitation and joining us!
During the event, three woman shared parts of their story and testimony. Afterwards, each table was supposed to discuss whose story they could relate to most and why. We were then asked to share what we are currently fighting for and against. I hope by opening up with you what it is I’m fighting for and against, you will not only will be able to pray for me, but it will hopefully encourage you to figure out and share what it is you are fighting for and against right now in your life.
What I’m Fighting For:
- Growth: I know who I want to be, but I am not there yet. I want to be a woman of God who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaking truth and life over people. I want to be a woman who walks in complete obedience, dependence and trust in the Lord. I want to walk and live in freedom and the identity I have in Christ Jesus. I want to be a woman who is humble and selfless. I want to be a woman who is in constant prayer and connection with the Lord. I want to be a woman who bears the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control.
- Intimacy with God: I want to really know the Lord and be fully known by Him. I want to hear and know God’s voice. I want to have constant dialogue with Him not monologues. I want to sit in His presence and just be with God. I want to experience Him in a whole new way.
What I’m Fighting Against:
- Myself: I still have a lot of pride. I still get caught up in what people think of me and often am the center of my thought life, looking out for my needs and wants. I try to do things on my own rather than depend on God in constant prayer and communication with Him.
- Pressure and Impatience: I know the World Race is an extremely unique opportunity for personal grow and greater intimacy with the Lord; therefore, I feel pressure to maximize every moment and become the person I desire to be right now. As my teammate reminded me the other day and wrote about herself in her latest blog update, which I replaced with my name, “Month 1 Ally is good. I don’t need to fret over not being Month 12 Ally yet. Wherever-You-Are-In-Life-Right-Now you is good!! Don’t yearn to be someone you aren’t yet. Set goals, yes. Desire growth, absolutely. But be where you are right now. It’s a good thing; God has you in that place for a reason. He’ll get you to where you want to be and immeasurably more.” Also, as the team leader, I feel pressure to keep our team unified and living in healthy community and to not let anyone down or fail.
The good news is I am not fighting alone.
In Exodus 14:14 Moses tells the children of Israel, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Deuteronomy 1:30 says, “The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes”
God goes before us and fights our battles for us! All I have to do is be still and the growth and intimacy I long for will come. God has given me an incredible team who desires and is fighting for these same things and is also fighting for me. I am learning a lot from my teammates and I’m thankful for every one of them!
So again I challenge you, what are you fighting for and against? Whatever it is, be encouraged – you are not alone, the Lord is fighting for you!
