I love the smell of an old book…
Bending back the weathered pages to the soft middle, I breathe in the deep scent of timeless stories and ageless adventures.
More and more I have begun to think of my life as a story – a long book that is being written page by page, chapter by chapter, with countless tales filling the lines in between.
And as each chapter closes, a new one is certain to begin.
As I sit out on our porch by the lake, the waves quietly rippling along the shoreline, I recognize that I am about to step into a new chapter.
In less than two weeks I will be moving to Gainesville, Georgia to begin CGA (the Center for Global Action) – a program offered by Adventures in Missions to World Race alumni for further growth and discipleship in the context of America.
The program has two components: the first is discipleship, which includes taking development classes and being mentored by the leaders of Adventures. The second is the apprenticeship component in which we will be serving in the Adventures office. I'll be participating in the “Story Telling” tract, learning from a variety of professionals on how to use stories to make a difference in people’s lives through tools such as writing, photography, and the social media.
It’s the beginning of a new chapter.
I don’t know exactly what to expect. None of my teammates are going, nor do I know how this chapter is going to fit into the grand scheme of my life, but I do know with complete certainty that God has asked me to go.
I fought against it for a while simply because it meant the surrender of a variety of other things: my life at home with treasured friends, family members, church community, and Californian lifestyle. It also entailed another season of financial support and not having my own income. Finally, it was the final step away from graduate school. While nothing in me wanted to go back to school and be in more science classes, I had held onto the idea as a backup plan if I couldn’t find a job.
Going to Georgia to pursue creative arts not only meant stepping into a field that was far from what I studied, but also meant leaving behind a scientific world of definite numbers, calculated probabilities, formulated equations and everything that felt certain. To me, it signified surrendering a life of stability, predictability, and expected outcomes.
With that gone, now all I have to hold onto is God.
I no longer have a backup plan.
I don’t know what will happen at the end of these four months, but I have come to trust completely that God will direct me and make the next step clear when the time comes.
Instead of living a plot that is predictable and certain, just about anything can happen.
I can go anywhere. Do anything. Be anything.
And thus my life takes on a new flavor, a new excitement, and a new color. I never know what is coming around the next corner until it’s there.
Who knows what turn the plot will take.
But I do know that God has far bigger plans for me than I could ever have for myself. I’m trusting that when He calls me somewhere it’s going to be exactly where I need to be for that time, and the outcome is going to be better than what I could plan out for myself.
Life turns into a colorful compilation of different seasons and different chapters as we choose to trust Him, and time after time He brings unexpected surprises that shape us into who we are. One day we will look back and understand more clearly what He was doing as the puzzle pieces come together, but for now we get to just follow Him step by step.
So as of September 13th, I will be in Gainesville, Georgia, continuing to follow the Lord’s will for my life.
It’s exciting. It’s scary. It’s incredibly hard to think about leaving so soon after I just got back.
But, I’m going,
and while I've only committed to four months, I'll be there as long as God asks me to stay.
Once again, I need to ask for your prayers as I enter into this new chapter.
I want to be fully invested in Georgia for the time that I am there, pouring myself whole-heartedly into whoever and whatever is before me.
Furthermore, I do have a small amount of financial support that I need to raise before going. It’s minimal compared to the Race, but if you’d like to help, let me know, and otherwise please be in prayer for me.
Thank you again for supporting, encouraging, and blessing me as you all have thus far in my story. Your lives are as significant to me as the plot itself, and I know that I couldn't do any of this without you.
