As I walk into the Starbucks to place my order for a cup of hot water, hoping that they don’t charge…………..the Turkish man looks at me with compassion as I ask how many Lira, he replies no charge(Praise Jesus)! So I take my fancy Christmas Starbucks cup full of just hot plain water to a corner, sit down then I pull out a 50 cent cappuccino packet that I picked up at the market (as I look around to make sure nobody is watching me), pour it into the cup of water……..ahhhhh yessss, I have now created myself a little piece of Heaven, sitting in a nice and warm Starbucks with a good hot cappuccino.
After a two week fast from the internet I anxiously pull out my computer, looking at emails, browsing the internet, and of course checking my facebook, and after about an hour when I’m about to get ready to leave and head back to the church where we are staying , the norm for our team begins to happen……. it starts to pour rain! As I sit there with my computer about to die, I realize I have two options……I can sit here and wait like everyone else is doing or I can just pack my bags and fight the storm! Dressed in my fleece sweater, black Jordan shorts, and flip-flops in 45 degree rainy weather (yes mom, I know haha)…… I strap on my backpack and head out!
The 15 minute trek home has now begun, all is going great; a little cold and wet, yes, but expected! However, I come to my first obstacle, the rain and my flip flops are not a good combination! Slipping and sliding all over the road, I think to myself, great, now what, I can’t walk up and down theses hills in my flip-flops, I’m going to fall and bust my head open. I think to myself, well, maybe I should just go back to Starbucks and wait it out, after all I didn’t realize it was going to be this hard to walk in my flip flops! Contemplating the decision of what to do I decided not to go back but to remove my flip-flops and just keep on going bare footed! Only two minutes into my journey home, I find myself getting extremely soaked, cold, and now barefooted as I walk down the streets of Istanbul! It was at this point when the Lord begun to strongly speak to me! Speaking to me about my life, a Christian’s walk, and this mission trip! Excitement begins to cover me like a cloud as I am feeling engulfed in the presence of the Lord!
Sitting in that Starbucks like everyone else not wanting to get wet and staying where things were comfortable….it was warm, dry, and plenty of company! But that’s not me and it’s not what I’m called to! The calling for myself and all other world racers is to step out into the storm, when so many want no part of going out into rain, thunder, and lightning! If you could only see all the faces of the locals as they looked at this man, going outside in this weather and how foolish they must have thought I was!
So the journey is on, I have made the decision to not go back even though circumstances I have are now turning out a little worse than expected. 7 minutes in my feet are now hurting, every step I take on this street is as if though there is something jabbing at my heels and toes and all of my flesh tells me to stop……………….. then I look to the right and there I see a building with awning where men and women are standing under doing all they can to avoid getting wet, and I think to myself I wonder how many of them started to fight this rain but then decided on their way it wasn’t worth it or maybe they thought that the current circumstances outweigh the future destination! My body says STOP AUSTIN, just relax and go seek shelter under the covering like everyone else, the rain will soon stop and then it will be safe to put back on your flip flops and return home safe and sound! …..But all of my insides say No….you’re not stopping getting to where you have set out to go…….Finish what you have started……after all I don’t ever want to put the flip flops back on, because when it is nice and sunny they are nice and comfortable, but I have learned today that when a storm comes they hinder me and cause problems that make me stumble, for today it was revealed to me that my flip flops have the ability to cause me problems as I will no longer choose to put them back on my feet, for in this day I have learned my lesson……. Much like this trip as taught me about things in my life.
As people laugh and stare ….you can only imagine what is going through their minds…..and that’s ok it’s much like all of us on this mission field so many people back home just cannot wrap their mind around what we are doing….it sounds crazy…….and it kinda is…..but I will close with this! After a 15 minute walk in the cold rain with my feet hurting and dripping wet, as I entered the Church I was home!! In a nice dry warm building! Not still sitting in the Starbucks waiting on the Storm to pass by!
I feel as though I can only scratch the surface on all that the Lord was revealing to me on this short walk home…..but I have sat on this blog for a week now and cannot convey anymore….Lord knows I have tried…..it’s a lot like my dad says “When it’s spiritual sometimes you just can’t explain it”
I’m still in need of just over 1,000 dollars in support……..if you are led to help in this ministry please click the support link and follow the instructions
God Bless
