During my time in Thailand so far, I’ve been stretched. A few days ago, my teammate Jill and I were told to teach 160 elementary school kids for almost 5 hours… with no translators. A few weeks ago, I was thrown in front of a bunch of teenagers in a juvenile detention center, expected to give a message and sing them a few songs. In these kinds of moments, I feel unequipped. And we have a TON of these moments on the Race.
God knows how I feel in times like these. He knows I do not feel “ready” for this kind of stuff. But sometimes, The Lord takes us to these places in order for us to see how much we really do need to lean on Him. God is teaching me in this season what it looks like to rely more and more completely on His strength instead of my own. He has taken me so far out of my comfort zone that I simply had no choice but to turn to Him. He equips me as I go. Where there is fear, His perfect love casts it out.
Through all of this, I’ve learned that His plans are so much greater than my own. This life is not what I expected it would be. Most days don’t go as planned (more like, most days don’t have a plan to begin with). Being the schedule- oriented person that I am, it kills me. Last Thursday, after a really crazy day of ministry, what I had expected to be a low key dinner ended up being a full on teacher karaoke party. Needless to say, I’m learning to expect the unexpected. The funny thing is, the unexpected often turns out to be better than my plans. The unexpected ultimately is God’s will. He is in control all the time.
So, we trust in Him, and we roll with the punches. When we are asked to preach, we do it with the Spirit’s power in us. When we are asked to lead worship, we smile and accept the opportunity. When we get thrown in front of 160 Thai kids, we figure out a lesson plan. When we end up at the karaoke party, we get up on stage and sing “Let It Go” from Frozen in front of 50 Thai teachers. I have been more flexible and willing to say “yes” on this trip than I ever have before. I am learning that His plan is a gift, an invitation, something that we get the opportunity to say “yes” to each and every day. I choose to trust Him.
On the topic of trusting in God’s plan… I’M SPENDING A MONTH IN CAMBODIA! Due to some complications with our Thai visas, my team is leaving Thailand a month early to serve in Cambodia for most of November. We leave tomorrow morning! I’m pumped to see what God has for us there, and I’m trusting in His will. Please be in prayer for my team as we transition into this new culture and new ministry.
“But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34
One of my last days as an English teacher! My third grade class turned into a big pile of laughter.
