The first words I got when praying about Romania was “broken of independence,â€� which enables being free and willing to receive and give love fully. For a long time, I have been a very independent person. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is when it causes you not to ask for help when you need it and even more when it keeps you from relying on the Lord like we were created to do…and God is breaking me of this through my community and the challenges He is presenting me in ministry. I believe He also wants to give me joy, peace, and rest this month • there is a beautiful hill behind one of the houses we are staying in this month (my team and the team we are partnered with this month are divided among three houses here in Ville Tecci), and the hill has already proved to provide an environment of such solace and sweet time with the Lord not only for me but also for all of my team and squadmates who have trekked it. While I prayed this specifically between the Lord and me, I believe being broken of independence also relates to what God is doing in and through my team and squadmates here, which gives evidence to how we grow as a body and that what God does in one person’s life relates to and affects the lives of other believers as well. Due to the rather vague, unexpected nature of our ministry thus far, we are learning to rely on God and not ourselves. Last night, we spoke at a church about a half hour away, each sharing a short testimony about how we came to know the Lord and how God called us on the Race. We were also able to pray with and for the people to be healed of various conditions, from addictions to physical ailments. It was awesome to see how God gave us the words to say and worked through us when we relied on him. We also have a good bit of time “freeâ€� each day, so we are seeking out what the Lord would have us do with that time, such as prayer over the village and door-to-door evangelism. Being broken of independence is tough and somewhat scary in not knowing what to expect, but it is beautiful in how it leads to a more intimate relationship with the Lord and seeing Him move in ways that we have not witnessed or walked in before!
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.� • Galatians 5:13-14
