Obedience.
Love and obedience: that’s why I am going on the race. That’s why I’ll be a 20 year old freshman in college. That’s why I’m leaving my wonderful family, toilet paper, and bed at home. That’s why I am traveling into the unknown: unknown ministry, unknown people, and unknown situations.
I have fallen so deeply into love. He is handsome, wise, funny, and kind. He loves deeply and well. There is nothing fake about Him. He is real, and He is Jesus. It is because I love Him that I am going on this adventure. He has done so much for me, the least I could do is say yes when He asked me to go.
A way to show love is to obey. I obey my parents because I love them, (and I don’t want to lose my car keys… :). I obey God because I love Him.
To be truly honest, it has been a struggle to obey recently. The big things for me are easy. Move across the world? No problem! Leave your family? Sure! But if God asks me to pray for the person shopping next to me, it is so hard for me to do it. If God asks me to give a little extra in the offering, I start thinking of all the things I could potentially buy with that money.
Why? I know that I love the Lord; deeply even. So why do I find it hard to obey in the little things? Is it fear? Fear of looking weird or stupid? Could it be worry? Worry about whether or not I’ll lose my job if I pray for a customer who has cancer? I say that I am willing to die for Jesus, but am I like Peter who denied Him three times when things became serious?
But then Jesus intervened:
“Do you love Me?”
“Yes.”
And everything changed. Peter led 3,000 people to Jesus in a fifteen-minute speech a couple of days later. He eventually did die for Jesus by being crucified upside-down. There was fear. There was worry and even mistakes, but Peter learned that love, love is the trump card. When you love Jesus, you are willing to look silly or lose your job. Because what is that compared to the love of Jesus?
May the King of kings bless you!
~Ashlyn
Verses referenced: John 21:15-18 and Acts 2:41
Fundraising update!
I have raised almost $4,000!!!!!
Seriously, I am so in awe of God’s goodness and your generosity! With that said, my first deadline for $5,000 is coming up in 60 days. If you would like to partner with me, that would be soo very amazing! You can do so by clicking on the Donate! button at the top of this page. Donations are also tax-deductible!!
Prayer update!
I will be mailing out prayer support letters while I am gone. If you would like to be a part of my prayer support team, please email: [email protected].
Also, If you could please pray for my courage and that I would have the strength to be obedient in the small things, that would be great!
Again, You guys are awesome, so thank you!
