At our launch in January, all racers received a necklace with a key. Inscribed on the key was a word. These keys were provided to us by an organization called “Keys for the Journey.” Before the keys are distributed to the racers, members of the organization pray and ask God to give them a word or verse for each racer. Then once the keys are passed out to the racers, we ask God to show us what the key means to us individually. Once we receive the knowledge of how the word applies to our life, we are then to give the key to someone on our journey.
My key had the word “SEE” inscribed on it and quite frankly I had no idea what it meant, nor did I realize the journey I was going on to understand the meaning.
One day, while we were in Australia, as I was putting on some makeup, I heard the Lord say to me “I want the real Anna – nothing covered up, just you. Then, the Lord began to remind me of what He had shown me while I was at Christ for the Nations (CFNI). Specifically, He reminded me of whom I am in Him. Throughout my time in Australia, God took me deeper into what He began showing me at CFNI. For example, the very next day, the Lord took me to 1st Corinthians 1:27. The world standard is not what God uses. Instead, what we may see as a weakness is the very thing God wants to use to reach the world. In other words, our very weakness is really our biggest strength when we allow God to move through us in that area. In that way, God gets all the glory!
The Lord continued speaking to me when we arrived in Indonesia. It started with a feeling that He was calling me into the wilderness with Him. Well, we started our time in Indonesia with a bible study in Hosea 2:14 “I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.” After that, I continued to hear in my spirit the word wilderness. I began to realize it is a place where the Lord calls you so He can tell you who you are. Most of us do not think of a wilderness as a place of joy or fun, but the Lord spoke to me saying: “Why does the wilderness have to be a bad place? Why can’t it just be you and I walking through a forest talking? Why can’t it just be you and I spending time together getting to know each other in a deeper way?” The Lord took me to this place of totally surrendering everything and just resting in who He was. In addition to Him speaking to me about who He is and who I am in Him, He began to remind me about His steadfast love. He reminded me that I am His daughter and nothing can change His love for me.
The verse that really changed my perspective was Romans 8:15-17. We are adopted into His family and we get to call Him Abba Father. Adoption is a choice – it is not forced. God knew everything about us and He still chose to adopt us. The verse continues to say we are children of God and if children, then heirs! When I read that verse, the word ‘heirs’ leapt off the page. Now, I know what the word meant but I still looked up the definition.
Heir-A person legally entitled to the property or rank of another on that person’s death.
Since Jesus died for us, we are legally entitled to everything – He paid the price for us. Which means a personal relationship with God, forgiveness, love, grace, mercy, health, direction for our life and so much more.
However, the definition didn’t end there it went on to say, “A person inheriting and continuing the legacy of a predecessor.” I began to meditate on what was Jesus’s legacy? It is loving people who others do not think are worthy to be loved, teaching people about His Father, laying hands on the sick (and they recovered), and other miracles which I could go on and on about. Then I realized I am rightly entitled to do everything that Jesus did and I get to continue His legacy. I get to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, I get to tell others that God gave His only Son for our sin, I get to show the love of God to others and so on.
He continued to show me what it meant to rest in Him and not strive. Rest is not a word I like very must since I am an active person. Yet, He showed me the importance of resting because that is where He can speak to me. I have been reading the book “The Pursuit of God” and I want to share a point, which was so powerful for me. God said, “Be still, and know that I am God,” (Ps 46:10). His strength and safety lies not in the noise around us, but in silence.
This month the Lord showed me what it means to be still. He also taught me not to strive for His love, but to rest in Him. When I live out of that place with the Lord, I can do so much more. That is where my strength comes from and it makes doing things easier because the Lord is directing me.
He also brought a community around me to show me the things He has put in me. The Lord has reminded me of the importance of living out of Him and how I get to continue His legacy on the earth. So I said all of that to tell you I have given my key away to my teammate Melissa. We will see what God does for her with the key. But for me, the key meant SEE myself the way God SEES me and he taught me what it is like to live my life in the way He SEES me.
