When I read blog posts from other racers I hear their voice… as if someone is sitting next to me. Telling me all the little things on their heart. I like hearing the voices, because when I do, everything seems so real. I hope you hear my voice tonight; I need your help.
For every person who has ever gone on a mission, I imagine one of the more painstakingly burdensome distractions that never seems to go away is the dreaded word….
the one that shows up in your head like a neon rolling marquee, maybe like this
Only my feature presentation reads: fundraising.
I think we should rearrange the letters and add an “e” to be defunraising. Doesn’t that prefix negate the root “fun”?
Anyways, I’m sorry. I don’t know if it’s the pride or the fear of rejection or what, but sometimes humor helps me cope.
I need you. You see, God has a lot of work in me. If you’ve met me in person, you know. 😉
I read lovely things like this and watch convicting things like this and I’m so far from who I’m meant to be, but I hope. I really do hope and believe with all my heart that this next year is where God wants me to be.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Proverbs 19:21 (Thank you Claire).
Please help me this next year.
Pray for my team: Kelly, Kathryn, Missy, Mel Jo, and Dani. I am so thankful for this team of creative, hardworking, joyful, and thoughtful women.
Pray for my heart. Oooo! I want that old thing to change!
Pray for the people and the places we will interact with. I have no idea what to expect. If you ask me what I’ll be doing, I won’t really give you an answer, but if you continue to follow and support me I’ll be updating you along the way 🙂
And finally, pray for the people who the Lord has prepared to give financially.
Before I go, let me share with you a story that gave me hope:
Jared is one of my friends. He is a 45-year-old man with crazy blond hair, an extremely large heart, and goofy jokes that will have you laughing for a lifetime. When I met Jared he was homeless. He was squatting in a house and hadn’t showered for weeks. He was addicted to alcohol, among other things, and alone. But something about Jared makes me know God is so alive and real and craving to change lives.
Because Jared’s not homeless anymore. He doesn’t drink and he only smokes a little. He has a crazy family now. He’s working to pay off a truck (it’s a heavy duty F250!). He makes goofy meals like chili, eggs, and cheese on a plate of doritos… but the thing that really makes Jared stand out, the part that breaks my heart and reminds me of Jesus, is his gift of giving.
In the world’s eyes he may be one of the poorest, but in my eyes he is one of the richest. He might be the most generous man I’ve ever met. He’ll give you all of his moose tracks ice cream, no hesitation. He’ll sit down on the couch and listen intently as you read a 4-page business law paper while the man upstairs is remodeling a bathroom with the generator wailing. He’ll give you his coat, his breakfast, and even when his back is in pain from 4 days of roofing, he’ll still give you rest while he unloads 6,000 pounds of trash. And when that’s not enough, he’ll keep on giving. Like the time when he asked what I was doing, and I told him I was trying to figure out how to fundraise. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and fished out a dollar. Jared gives all he can give because he is thankful. Ask him. You’ll see the tears in his eyes as he proclaims how grateful he is for all that the Lord has done for him.
