When I graduated high school, my parents gave me a white gold ring with a B on the front and my favorite Bible verse inside. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God” and for five years now I’ve carried it with me on my left hand. I love that in this verse God just asks us to stop striving and panicking to control everything and everyone around us and to just rest in the fact that we have a God that fights for us. My personal battling can stop.
Over the past few weeks this verse has become more real than ever as I took a Saturday aside to pray over my World Race mission. I am excited about being a World Race missionary, but I wasn’t sure about when my launch date should be scheduled. I had originally planned on leaving in August, but as I prayed during April and early May, I wasn’t sure if that was when God planned on me leaving.
On the Saturday I set aside, I truly felt like God was just calling me to “Be Still” for a season. Since high school I’ve bounced from school, to multiple jobs, to volunteering experiences, to falling in love with Swaziland, to graduating from college last weekend. These were all beautiful seasons, but I haven’t had a moment to truly process them and “Be Still” with God to celebrate them.
Even though changing my launch date means the life timeline I already adjusted for the World Race is going to be changed again, I’m so excited for this season of stillness. Letting go of that life map means I can embrace what comes next and celebrate where I’ve already been. In one of Priscilla Shirer’s sermons she makes an analogy of going to a surprise party and trusting in God. The people trying to get the guest of honor to the surprise party think to themselves, “if they only knew what’s planned and everything that is set up specifically for this guest of honor…” If only we knew all the wonderful plans God made for us! If only we would be willing to say “Okay, I’m following.”
In order to really spend time in reflection and celebration, I’ve moved my launch date to January. Pushing launch back will give me the season of stillness that I feel called to, and I know I will be much more able to serve others wholeheartedly after.
In the meantime, I have a huge praise report! My church in Oshkosh (Community Church) recently met with me, prayed over the mission, and felt called to donate 10% of the mission. I feel so blessed and cannot express enough how grateful I am for their support, and I’m excited to see the more ways that God moves as I prepare for January and celebrate this season of life.
