"They greatly wander; they do not restrain their feet." -Jeremiah 14:10b
I know that we are a people that wander ever since the fall of man, we were cursed to wander in the desert. Have things really changed all that much since Adam and Eve? I have been wandering for the past 10 months. Yes, there have been times that have felt like I've been in the desert, but other times I've felt as if I was looking at a glimpse of heaven. Being back in Ireland is a true blessing. When we were told that the church we would be working with was a little unconventional, I was excited about encountering God in a new way. After an incredible send off from our community in Moldova, I couldn't imagine anything better. The Lord has already shown up in so many ways including revealing His healing power, so I know this is going to be a month of letting down the last walls and letting go of the smallest fears to welcome God's presence in our every day life. We are going to be working with the children, doing street healing and prayer, prayer walking around the city, helping with a food bank and donation center, and working at an antique store. Our days are full from 9am-5pm with one day off a week. We are seasoned racers. We have seen miracles, we have witnessed God's glory, we have dealt with the issues of our hearts, we have surrendered, we have sacrificed, we have lived in intense community. Now all 55 of us stay in one building doing several different ministries a day, yet I couldn't be more excited. Sure it's like spending the holidays with your entire family, so yeah there are going to be times where we might get a little frustrated and need some personal space, but I hope and pray that we have all reached a place where we can trust the Jesus inside of people instead of their flesh, and we can go to each other with love and grace in our hearts instead of accusations and anger. We can die to ourselves and choose to go before each other and wash feet. We have all wandered for much longer than 40 days and we have felt the Lord beside us and we have felt alone. We have had emotional break downs and we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. We have been tempted to go against God and have sought out prayer. We have left behind our pride, doubts, and everything the world says we are and have found our identity in Jesus Christ, so what do we do with this new identity? WE WALK IN IT. We go home and live. Go look in the mirror and ask yourself who you are. Find out for yourself because I went through the first 25 years of my life looking in the mirror and not fully believing that I am a child of God. This month may be the last on the race, but it's the beginning of the rest of my life. We have gone from saying a few months to a couple of weeks, from caring about what we are wearing to putting on everything in our pack just to stay warm, and from being strangers to becoming family. We don't know what's next but we know even if we never see each other again in this world, we will worship together in heaven. Community matters. God uses people in our lives as we begin to wander through the desert. We didn't pick each other, but we were all chosen, we were all called and we learned how to choose each other ever day. Yes we have wandered but no matter how much we think we can run away from the love and presence of our Father, we have not lost sight of God in our lives and I firmly believe this month won't be different. Please continue to pray for us. The month is not over and for a lot of us this journey isn't over either. 15 days left in Northern Ireland, forever to serve the King.
