This month we are living in what’s considered the Cambodian Slums. We walked through a market our first morning filled with dead chicken and floppy fish with flies all over them. Cambodia is filled with fruits and vegetables, and we pick up loaves of bread for breakfast. This place is illuminated in smell, sight, sounds, and smiles of the local people. Jesus has quickly pulled me from the cold pit I met in Nepal and replaced it with warmth, love, light, and freedom this month.
One thing that the Lord has been revealing to me lately is how deeply I feel and love others in my heart. He is revealing that I have meaning and worth, am growing more into who He has created me to be, and that I cannot be compared to anyone else because what I bring to the Kingdom is unique. I have been given authority and influence because I sit and have a place at the right hand of the Father. My stamp of approval has already been signed, sealed, and delivered. I accept the invitation now, because it’s free… I mean, who doesn’t like free stuff? But on a serious note, what a gift it is to be loved fully and then return that love in such a way that leaves influence, impact, and light behind, knowing that light is always before us.
I find that I compare myself less to others nowadays than I ever did a year ago or even three or four months ago. I used to be stuck in the mentality that I wasn’t “good enough” if I “wasn’t like that person.” But actually, who I am is good enough because I have Jesus advocating for me. I have a voice that is unique and worth sharing confidently and boldly on behalf of the Gospel. It is a gift I enjoy honing and it never feels like work because the gift is already within me.
I think the spirit of Jesus and who He is is much the same. He is already in us all, He just chose little me to go out and use my gifts to bless nations of people – the real secret is that this can literally be done anywhere. Whether it’s in New England or elsewhere, we don’t have to leave the United States to realize that it’s possible to bring Kingdom anywhere as long as we are open handed and willing to say yes and choose into the gifts we all have been given confidently. I mean, leaving sure helped me, and being stripped of the comforts everything at home brings is hard and difficult, but in the end, it made me realize there is absolutely nothing but Jesus before us, behind us, and in us and that bringing Kingdom is all about the relationships we make with the people He places right in front of us.
No matter where we are on the globe, we can bring Kingdom because it’s what He asks us to do and it’s how we are all called to partner with Him everyday. I think Kingdom is all about community and being intent on hearing the Holy Spirit and following His still, small voice. Community is about real communication, authenticity, and willingness to be vulnerable and open so that others can come alongside each other and say “hey, me too.” It’s where a culture of feedback is encouraged and openly accepted. It’s where we are walking alongside one another, open to growth and willing to do what it takes to call each other higher into who we were meant to be in Christ, even if that means doing the hard thing of pointing out the blind spots in each other.
This is the life I am taking part in now. It’s the life that has been expected of me throughout the Race, but the life I have come to naturally love and want to buy into for the rest of my life. It’s less of an expectation now and more of just the way I do things with the people around me. What used to be so difficult for me comes as second nature now. Being vulnerable and open has left me with a willing spirit, an open heart, and a surety and confidence of who I am in Christ. My foundation is rooted in Him and I cannot be shaken.
What does it look like for you to bring Kingdom exactly where you are? Maybe it’s frequenting the same Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks and getting to know your local coffee barista. Maybe it’s sitting down with someone you don’t know that well and hearing their story. Maybe it’s a smile to someone who you see every day on the street. Bring your focus out. The possibilities are endless. As long as we buy into community, vulnerability, and walk in our God-given gifts with confidence from the heart, the rest falls into place, the way it was intended to be.
Sending Love and Prayers from Cambodia,
~Ashley
PS Please be in prayer for each of my team mates on Abundant Life! Pray that we will continue on this journey God has placed before us with willing spirits and hearts to finish His thing strong. I know I want to finish out strong and with no regrets… Granted, we are only halfway through the Race at this point, but I think it’s important to begin praying early for uplifted spirits as the waters come around high and low and we begin descending the mountain we’ve climbed so far to get to this point. Thanks a Bunch! :]
