My First Love

For the past several days, we have been at Debrief with our squad before finishing out the last three months of the Race.  It has been incredibly refreshing to have time to rest, catch up with friends, and be filled back up by the Lord.  We have had an incredible time (even having the opportunity to go on a safari !) and are looking forward to our next month in Uganda.

Our old squad leaders came out from the U.S. to spend the week with us and help us get ready for what to expect for the last part of the race.  Thursday night they got up and spoke to us as a group, reminding us why we are out here and Who we are serving.  It could be very easy for Dustin and I to go ahead and mentally check out, looking forward to the future and to forget about the work that God still has for us here.  But the thing about that is, God still has work for us, and we can’t forget that.  

Abby talked about living every day in excellence.  God hasn’t called us to excellence for tomorrow, or next week, or when we get home, but every day, starting today. And every day, it’s our choice.  It’s my choice to get up and choose to have a great attitude, to minister to people on the streets when it’s not on the schedule, and to love my team, even when I’m not in the mood.  God gave me the choice, and I choose to live in excellence, to represent Christ in the best way that I know how, and to ask for His help when it’s not easy.  A piece of advice we all could be reminded of.

 

Tim also got up and he talked about a lot of great, encouraging things, but he said one phrase that I have been hanging onto since then.  He said in everything that we are doing, “Don’t forget your First Love.”  That might seem like an obvious clique, but it hit me hard.  Here’s why:

This entire race, there have been new experiences, new people, new beliefs, and new ideas that I never knew existed.  The world is a big place, and believe it or not, not everyone lives like we do in West Texas.  I’ve struggled this year at times trying to remember things about Christ that I KNOW are true, and at the same time be opened to what God is trying to teach me that is new.  It can be confusing at times and if you’ve ever questioned exactly what you believe, you know how I feel.  God has been so faithful in my process, teaching me so much about how great He is and almost forcing me to depend solely on Him for the answers.  However, occasionally, I’ve lost sight of my First Love.  I’ve lost sight of the God that loved me so much that he sent his Son to die on the cross for my sins.  The God who sent his Holy Spirit to be my guide.  The God that promises me He will never leave me or forsake me.  The God who is my Rock and Refuge in times of trouble.  My God who loves me so desperately.  Period.