Many of the blogs I have written on the world race are to give my amazing family, friends, and supporters a better idea of the culture, ministry, to uplift, encourage, or challenge you, and things God is teaching me around the world. This blog however is a little different, these are things the Lord has called me to lay down and humbly share with you about my heart. Two things on my heart that I need to be transparent about not just with my team but also with you. To walk fully free, laying down that I won’t walk in what others think of me, this goes more with part 2 J
Part One:
The first one comes from 1 Timothy 1:12-16, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful appointing me to his service…The grace of the Lord was poured out on me abundantly…Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinner-of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe…”
Sometimes I get the impression that people think that what I am doing out here is “better” then doing missions in America. Also, that by doing something like this I may be stronger in my faith, not struggling with things that they are struggling with…so in this blog I just need to dispel any thoughts of that and I need to humble myself in saying one of the things I have learned on the world race is that I need God’s mercy more than anything, I need his grace, I need his love. Just because I am traveling to 11 countries in 11 months sharing the word of God doesn’t for a second mean I am above sin, making mistakes, or completely making a mess of things. Just like everyone else I need Christ, I need forgiveness, and I need His patience.
I want you to know that everything and anything you are doing for the kingdom is important. The conversation you had with the woman at the grocery store to encourage her, the person you sat with and prayed with after church, the child in need you shared your food with, the homeless man you sat down to talk to on the streets, the neighbor that you cooked a meal for, the youth that you pour into, your very own children you are raising in the word of God, the bible study you show up to each week and speak life into those people, the church that you lead, the kindness you show to your family, friends, and people you meet, the teenage skater kids you go and watch skate board on Tuesday afternoons, the ministry you behind the scenes pray for, the children you teach in 3rd grade, the people you take care of in the hospital as a nurse and show love to them in one of their greatest times of need, the younger girls/boys you take under your wing and help lead them to the Lord and walk through life with, the clothes you donate, the money you give to missionaries to support them, the people you offer a drink to when they are thirsty, food to the hungry….I could go on and on…and if you read close enough you will probably find many of these things are what you are doing right now. Things that I have been encouraged by and have taught me many lessons. I have been just as encouraged by you this year and have learned so much from the lives that you lead and the way you pour yourselves out to the calling God has placed in your life. I am extremely blessed to know all of you and glean insight from your lives and the way you walk out your faith. You all are amazing and I am so blessed to know each one of you.
