So much is going on in preparation for launch. My life has probably never been this hectic. I’m still full swing with fundraising, although until today I was really drawing a blank on what to do next with that (I finally came up with something that’s detailed farther down). My mom moved to Florida with my brother last week (as opposed to 15 minutes away). I have a ton of stuff I’m trying to sell (N64, guitars, pedals, amps, vinyl, lol HMU). I finally got a yellow fever shot (HOLLA! NO MORE NEEDLES!!!), I’ve been doing some awesome but intense yard work to pay them final bills, today seemingly out of nowhere I met a long estranged cousin, next week my brothers and I are doing a first ever brothers only retreat and I leave in a matter of weeks for Spain! (And truly, the list goes on!)
Picture time!
(Our roommate river adventure)
(Farmer Daniel working to pay the bills) THANK YOU GRIMES FAMILY!
I don’t say all that for sympathy, but just to say life is nothing short of insane. There is so much to do. So much more I want to do. So much more I want to be, and reality is setting in. I’m leaving.
That thought brings with it so much emotion (in me and certainly in people around me). Most conversations now get started with, “So you leave pretty soon huh?” Or a simple, “Are you nervous?” Although no joke I love when people ask, “So when do you leave again?” That’ll almost stop your heart!
In my mind…
“AUGUST 4THHH AHHHHHH!”
I’m humbled continually by the interest, grace and support I’ve gotten from everyone. Truly, despite obvious emotions of the reality of leaving. I know that I know that I know, God’s got me, and He says I’m enough already.
God has the finances under control, He has an abundance of peace for every ounce of my stress, He’s with my family and can/will guide them with me gone. Worry has no place. I know that. Sometimes my emotions just need to catch up.
I love this band The Head and the Heart (I mean just the name com’on). My brother and I joked on our way to a 4th of July adventure (whitewater rafting) listening to and singing very obnoxiously “Rivers and Roads” that it’s literally a soundtrack to our life right now (side note song was played because it had the word river and we were on our way to a river).
“Been talking ’bout the way things change
And my family lives in a different state
And if you don’t know what to make of this
Then we will not relate
So if you don’t know what to make of this
Then we will not relate”
– The Head and the Heart, Rivers and Roads
The song is about distance and change, but also about the hope of getting to see each other again. Y’all I haven’t even left yet. I’m gonna miss my people here. The longest I’ve been away from home is a month. It was an amazing month, but a year is different.
Am I afraid?
I get asked that a lot. It’d be weird if I wasn’t. Weird if I wasn’t asked that and if I wasn’t even a little afraid. What I’d say is what I said before, I know that I know that I know God’s got me. That has to be enough. If it isn’t, I’m really just wasting everyone’s time.
My Heavenly Father also doesn’t need me to have everything all together in order to use me. I struggle with that. I want to be a cleaned up “perfect” version of me before I get there. I’m a work in progress. That’s beautiful because the Lord is the one working. I used to be working on progress (My default mode). I’m learning that intimacy with the Lord is the key to knowing, loving and accepting myself. And that gives me freedom to really love others as well. I want to love like Christ does.
If the God of the universe cares about me, why shouldn’t I also realize my value and worth for the Kingdom?
That realization, sadly, hasn’t come easy. Intimacy is something we all crave. We all want to be deeply known, accepted, to belong and be loved. I want that, but it’s so much easier to put up a wall emotionally both with people and sometimes even with the Lord. It’s easier but deadly. We’d miss out on the truest of peace, joy, and love if we always went around with our guard up or numbed to all the pain we may experience.
I must look to the cross, because there Jesus shows us that he cares more about a relationship with us than our ability to be this “perfect” fake version of ourselves. He will make us new. I’m going to choose relationship 1st. My actions will surely follow. In this time of craziness, I’m too busy to not spend tons of time with the Lord. I’m too stressed not to let His peace give me rest. I’m to broken not to let Him put me together.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
– Galatians 2:20 NIV
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
– Romans 5:8 NIV
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””
– John 8:3?-?12 NIV
Thank you for reading!
Fundraising:
More details to come, but I’m selling tickets to a sort of send off get-together. You’re invited. We will be on Lake Allatoona in Woodstock. On the 28th of this month. Message me if interested in coming. There will be food, music, games, and water! It’s gonna be a great time! (THANKS DOUG!)
Special shout-out to Christian and Ellie. They are helping me by taking over a couple compassion sponsorships for the time I’m away. Please be praying for them as they do so!
Pray for all the craziness going on right now here at home. Pray for full funding! I’m hoping for that before I leave, so that I can focus entirely on being present while away.
Be praying for the people we will encounter on the first leg of our trip. The Camino in Spain. People go on that pilgrimage to deal with loss or seeking answers to life’s questions. Pray for the Gospel to reach the souls of the people we encounter there!
Finally, people have lots of questions about the 10/40 window. Why do I want to serve there. Here’s a quick video snapshot. But I also recommend my teammate Bee’s blog here:
https://breannaalverson.theworldrace.org/post/why-mission-work-what-is-the-need
That’s all for now folks. God bless!
-
Daniel
