I got to preach at our final crusade in Malawi.
People from the community of Blantyre came together, filling the school year beneath the covering of stormy clouds and a beautiful tree. Our prayer mountain lingered in the background as yellow and white plastic chairs painted the rather plain ground with a little color. Babies squealed and cooed with delight as their mothers bounced them, clad in beautiful wrappas during worship. The sun hung low in the western sky…and I took a breath as it was my turn to go forward.
Once again I was faced with the challenge of “using my voice”. The Lord has been speaking to my heart recently about stepping out in boldness…letting Him speak through me…to be a mouthpiece of truth, healing, deliverance, and love to the nations. That’s a bit of a hefty challenge – and it’s fairly intimidating to me – but what more can I do then say, “okay Lord, You’ve got this. I’ll open my mouth….and trust you to speak.” Sometimes I don’t understand why every time He asks me I have to go through the same thought process, only then to come to the point of saying “Okay! Yes Lord!” I want my life to move fluidly – and my obedience and response to the nudging, whispers, and instruction of the Holy Spirit to be automatic, without question – 100%.
I believe it is…yet I’m still a baby at this…I’m still learning to walk. Still learning that it’s entirely okay and necessary to trust God that when God asks me to speak, that He will in fact show up and speak. (By the way…this being the same God who spoke and CREATION SPRANG TO LIFE…and CALLS FORTH STARS BY NAME EACH NIGHT, missing not even one. Yeah, that same God, wants to speak through me. WOW!)
So once again I opened up my heart, agreed to speak, and let the Lord direct me. He had me speak about “living out an abundant life”. Surprisingly enough, when the Lord calls us to speak about something – He always brings us to the place He intends to take those we’re speaking with/to. We can’t lead someone to a place we’ve never been.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “It is not in his goals but in his transitions, that man is great.” I’m in a season of transition – of stepping out – and I want to be found in the Lord’s eyes as faithful and true – to have done great for His Name and glory. It’s absolutely crazy and exhilarating to walk daily in what the Lord has promised, to live in His abundance – but I can’t imagine it any other way.
One thing I’ve realized about walking in obedience, is sometimes the Lord asks us to do unexpected things – perhaps even absurdly unexpected – but fun at the same time. A few months ago, while flying to Hungary en route to the Czech Republic, I was sitting beside my squad-mate Rachel. Grabbing a pen I handed it to her and said, “Hey lady, give me a word.” A look of wonder and panic flooded her face. Naturally, I did what any good friend would do, I laughed…and then I explained. “What I mean is, this is a challenge. Ask the Lord what He’s wanting to speak – and write one word on my hand. I’ll ask Him for you too.” She smiled at this and wrote the word “Authority”. When I made a fist this word radiated from my hand – and as I walked out that month of ministry – the Lord was not only expanding my territory, but increasing the area of authority, particularly in regard to worship responsibilities. Reflecting on this little “word game” made me smile.
Like any good thing…this ‘game’ or challenge began to spread through our squad and has quickly become a method of encouraging one another in our journey with the Lord – calling people to step into new things – to remember where the Lord has them – to dig deep. Words can hardly do justice to just how valuable and unifying this practice has become…(FAST FORWARD)…I’m preparing to speak and the Lord gives me specific instructions to basically “play the word game” with those listening at the close of the message. I laughed. Then he told me who was to assist me in this.”Christy, get Aubrie, Stacey, and Shawndell. I’ll do the rest.” I knew He meant business. So I laughed again and agreed to do this…as silly as it seemed to me.
As I closed the message – the Lord reminded me that I have been “MARKED”, marked by Heaven marked by His grace – and my teammate Shawndell had even written the word “marked” on my hand that morning. I found this ironic – but the Lord used it to remind me and to remind others that this moment – and practice of asking the Lord for a word and writing it on their hands would be a tangible MARK of them stepping into the abundant life God has prepared for them – to say YES.
My African family was so excited about this. Kids came forward with smiles. People read their words and before we could even offer an explanation began affirming what the Lord was speaking to them and doing in their life. It was humbling. It was overwhelming. It was beautiful. Joy was evoked and shot through that property instantaneously – a sweetness settled in around His children as He began to speak His promises over each daughter and son relinquishing control and choosing in to whatever God has for them.
