Dear loved ones,
It has been twenty days since I got off a plane, cried goodbyes to my L squad family, and said goodbye to my World Race.
I have intentionally not written to you, so that I could truly process what God wanted to teach me in these twenty days of rest and stillness. To be honest, this is a hard time. There are good days and there are harder days. Our world has been once again flipped “back to normal”, but to us, this life is not normal, in this year of serving 11 different countries in radical ways, Jesus has redefined yet another thing, normalcy.
Friends, I have so so so many stories for you! I would love nothing more than to share a cup of coffee and tell them to you, but in this time I will share what Jesus has spoken to me in these past days.
As I was reading in the Gospel of John, I just wanted to head over to the beginning. To a place in the story of Jesus where everything was fresh to all who had ears to listen. As I read through the first chapter I didn’t get very far into reading when at the end of the chapter Jesus shares with His soon to be disciples that they need to follow Him. So, they did. When Jesus is calling Philip and Nathanael, Nathanael is in awe of how Jesus knows him immediately, calls him out and says:
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel”
and Jesus replies:
“You believe because I told you I saw you under a fig tree. You will see greater things than that. Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
This struck me to my deepest. Here I am seeking to be refreshed, all while processing all that has happened in the past year. And through this scripture Christ says to me:
“You think this is something?! This is only the beginning!”
“You will see greater things than that”
…this is only the beginning. This year was by far the best year I have lived YET. It wasn’t an easy one, but it was the year that I had nothing to lean on but Jesus Christ, so it was the best one.
As a 23 year old, I have nothing but gratitude of the journey I am on. The journey that continues with my God. In Nicaragua (month 10) I prayed a bold prayer:
“Lord, lead me into uncertainty so I may rely more on you than the world I am about to face”
Since then, life has been pretty uncertain. answered! And I’ll tell you that I have more peace about this new beginning than I’ve ever had in my life.
This year I have been romanced by the Lord in a way that has redefined my relationship with Him.
It has taught me this: Intimacy with God is the greatest journey you could ever go on. Letting go of your surroundings, fully trusting, and seeking peace in Him will always lead us to the beginning, the awe and wonder of the greatest love. It truly surpasses all and redefines everything we know. Never forget, He knows you better than you know yourself, and you could never out dream Him.
Living life with Christ these past 11 months and traveling the world has redefined what I want the rest of my life to look like. And even so…this is only the beginning.
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As I hop on a plane tonight to head to America Jesus has called me to “redefine”. Right now I am not certain of what this could mean. But if you are reading this and feel a calling to head somewhere that you already know, a something that needs a little refreshing, remember: Jesus in you has the power to redefine all that we know. Whether it is a job, a school, a friendship, a church, a mundane task ahead. Redefine that shizz and make it the beginning God wants for you. It is offered to us everyday.
I am so excited for the reunions ahead!
With so much love,
ana
p.s-videos to come!
