Is this real life? Was yesterday really my last day of work? Am I actually leaving for launch in just three short weeks??? AHHHHHH!
Ever since I said YES to my World Race adventure, life has been a world wind; emotions have been all over the place and stress has been at an ultimate high but at the same time I’ve never been more comforted and more at ease. I’ve never been more sure of God’s plan for me.
Many have asked, “How did you know the World Race is where He’s calling you?”. The answer to this is long and, like many of God’s plans, it’s a series of events but let me start from the beginning… Last Fall three different events occurred that pressed mission trips on my heart.
The first was the flooding in SC. We all know how greatly this impacted our community. People were pushed out of their homes and lost so much. We all wanted to help and we didn’t know where to start. This placed the image in my head of people all over the world that deal with this pain everyday yet who is helping and serving them?
The second was the tragic death of my sister’s friend, Amanda Blackburn. As you probably remember from it being all over the news and facebook, Amanda was murdered when three guys broke into her home one morning last Fall. It was a devastating story to watch but the stories and testimonies of people that were impacted by Amanda and her faith were inspiring. She lived out a life sold out for Jesus. Every story shared about Amanda was how she humbly lived to serve others, how she radiated God’s grace and love in everything she did and how she was completely surrendered to Jesus. I too, want to live a life surrendered to Jesus. I want others to see Him through my actions and serving. It’s not about us. It’s about JESUS. Amanda knew this and lived this out. How am I going to do the same?
Another major instance was the Lottery… Say what?! Yeah, that’s right- the lottery! Who remembers back in the fall when the Mega-Millions lottery was the highest its every been and everyone was freaking out and buying tickets? Well, I too bought a lottery ticket then. I thought “Lord, this is great! If you let me win the lottery then I can quit my job and do mission work! I mean, why wouldn’t you want me to win? I would make sure it goes back directly to serving you. Come on Lord, this is a win-win for the both of us!” … Guess what… I didn’t win… and my response: “Um, excuse me, Lord. Why couldn’t you have let me win? I was going to serve your people with it. Why don’t you want me to do that?” Then He answered “Why do you need money to serve my people?” …….. Aw man! Why you gotta put me in my place like that, Lord??
So at this point I would say a mission trip is officially set on my heart but what do I do next? I ignore it. I thought “Lord, I can’t do something like that. I’m not outgoing enough, I don’t know enough scripture, I get stories of the Bible confused all the time. I’m just not qualified for something like that.” So I apply for a few jobs and guess what? Nothing happened. I went months without a call.
Then one Sunday, Pastor P said something that spoke volumes to me:
“If you make yourself available, God will make you able.
He does not call the equipped but He equips the called.”
Fast forward a few months, and I’m meeting the Home Works of America volunteer coordinator for coffee. We’re finishing up our meeting and about to walk out of Starbucks when she mentions she did the World Race after college. I ask a few questions, not really thinking too much into and we then go on our separate ways. Except, I couldn’t get the World Race out of mind. After a few weeks of this, I finally decided to look up the website and then I really couldn’t get it out of my head. The moment I knew I wanted to go on the World Race was when I received an email from a job I had interviewed for and immediately panicked when I saw it, hoping in that moment that I didn’t get the job. I had never been so happy to get denied!So that night I took the interest quiz on the website and prayed. A lot. And a lot. I asked God to help me out with a sign of clarity and in that moment He instantly pressed into me; “Go out and make disciples of all the nations”. Okay, Lord, I hear ya! I hear ya! So I knew I had to apply and I did without telling anyone. I didn’t want anyone else’s opinion. I wanted to focus on what God was telling me to do. I continued to pray about it and for His will be done, not mine. If this wasn’t what He wanted me to do then please don’t let me be accepted.
So days went by and being the stubborn and doubting person I am, I decided I needed another sign from Him and I prayed for another moment of clarity that day. I went on about my morning and headed on to work forgetting what I had asked for that morning. Then that afternoon, my boss came out of her office to show me a link she found about traveling. After exploring on this site a little bit I remember word-for-word her saying “I know I’m your boss and I’m not supposed to say this but if you ever get the chance to go travel you have to take it”. It didn’t even hit me the magnitude of what she said until I heard God whisper “hey, that was it!” Dang, God. You’re good. It was about a week after this that I heard from The World Race that I had been accepted and I didn’t hesitate to put down my deposit. I knew this is exactly where He wanted me.
Since saying “YES”, He’s shown me that He’s walking me through this in small ways whether it’s been anonymous donations, a text from a friend telling me that what I’m doing is inspiring him to look more into ministry, someone buying my coffee in the drive-thru line, complete strangers coming up to me and asking to pray over me or just moments of overwhelming joy. Have you ever noticed that He always gives us exactly what we need at the exact moment we need it?
So with launch just 20 short days away and with a to-do list that seems to be getting longer rather than shorter and a stomach full of knots, I’m more than ready to go out into the nations and spread God’s great love. I know I’m about to be tested in ways I can’t imagine but I also know I’m going to see Him work in AMAZING and AWESOME ways so, Lord, I’m making myself available.
The world isn’t going to come to the Church,
rather the Church has to go out into the world.
