To pick up where I left off in my first post, here’s half of the story of all the confirmations God showed me in the process of making this decision. I realize that completely altering the plan for my life was a huge deal, so I needed to know it was from God before I quit school and packed up to leave my family, friends, home, country.
1. Confirmation 1: getting the phone interview. So the first part of the application process is an online application. It takes about an hour to fill out and describe yourself and your walk with God. Following this application then determines whether or not you get a phone interview, which I got and had set up for November 6! (side note to remember for later, I filled out the application for the 11n11 trip, not gap year, even though I won’t be 21 yet to leave for the 11n11.)
2. Confirmation 2: my car broke down. Now ironically this doesn’t seem like a good thing to most people, and I’m still sad about it, but God used it to speak loud and clear to me. November 6, the day my phone interview was scheduled for, I drove home from school for a doctor’s appointment that I had the next day. As soon as I got home, we found out my transmission blew. To make the story short, the car was totaled because we found out the people who sold it to us lied and said it was worth more than it did because it had been in a major wreck before I got it. However, since the day I got the car, I prayed over it. The same prayer every time, “Thank you God for this car, and please protect me while I’m in it. Let it and I last as long as you need us both to do your work.” (If you know me, you know having car troubles is a common part of my life lol.) With this all being said, I had to cancel the phone interview, but they were so willing to reschedule (New date being November 15). On this crazy, emotional day, God reminded me of my prayer. He told me that I won’t be needing the car this time next year, so I just needed a physical sign. (side note to remember for later, my mom changed her mind about me going on the trip anymore. She would rather me be frugal and safe by finishing school on the scholarships I’m guaranteed to have for next year. )
3. Confirmation 3: I had the interview! November 15, This seems small to some people, but just the fact that I got an interview, and they were forgiving and willing to reschedule for me was a big deal to me. The women who interviewed me was so kind, and even over the phone it was evident that she knew the Lord. She encouraged me and prayed with me before the phone call ended. I told her how badly I needed prayer because I didn’t want to go against my mom’s will, but I also wanted to obey God. For months I struggled with this toss up between which was “more” right: obeying God but disobeying my mom, or obeying my mom but in a sense disobeying God by not going on the trip if he wanted me to go. That night after the call, I had my quiet time with God and spent some time in the word. I am following a chronological reading plan to read the Bible like a story in the order everything happened in. The very first verse I read for that day was Genesis 12:1. I didn’t even process the verse at first, but after about 5 verses down, my mind went back up to the first verse and I was blown away that God would speak so clearly through his word. It was as if these words were spoken audibly to me. The verse says, “The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Another Bible reading trick I do is also replace the stories with my name, as if God was speaking to me, so I literally read the verse as, “The Lord had said to Ashley, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” It was very evident that I needed to obey his voice, and that I’m now an adult, so it’s time to leave my parent’s house.
4. Confirmation 4: acceptance! Back in October, God told me to take my step of faith to apply to the World Race and if it was his will and plan, I would get accepted. If not, he would close the door. Well the door didn’t close!! Yet, mom still isn’t on board, and we also weren’t sure if I was going with the 18-20 year old group, or the 21-35 year old group. I turn 21 in December, so they weren’t sure which age group I’d fit best with, so they told me they would get back to me after Thanksgiving.
Here’s part one of all the work God has already done! I pray this testimony of his work builds faith in every single one of my readers 🙂 God is good, y’all. And he will always make his plan clear. Hold on to him, take a step of faith, and wait and see how he moves!
