So as you might presume from the title of this blog, life has been wild (to say the least) since my return from training camp. On top of processing everything from training camp, fundraising, working, and trying to maintain relationships, the Lord decided to add just a ~smidge~ more spice in the mix of my life.
P.s. my spice tolerance is LOW. I’m talking medium buffalo at Buffalo Wild Wings is PUSHING IT.
But gosh, this is a story I’ve been dying to tell and waiting and praying for the right words to tell it.
Let me take you on a journey:
*flash back to my third day back after returning home from training camp***
EVERYTHING ROCKS!!! I’m still in spiritual happy-go-lucky land, the colors are more vibrant, my coffee tastes stronger, and I feel stoked to tell the world about what happened at training camp and how incredible and powerful the Holy Spirit is. I was getting ready to head to practice (if you are new to my blogs, I am an alumni assistant coach for my university soccer team), and I was so eager to be around the girls and love on them with a new spiritual sparkle. I felt INVINCIBLE.
<might I add, it is that feeling of invincibility that the enemy PREYS on>
So I hopped in my car and immediately noticed something was off. Things that were in the back seat were in the front seat and things were just scattered about the car. Then it dawned on me that someone had already been there, in my car, in my space, and stole my most valuable (material) possessions.
Everything that I was going to use to document my experience on the race was taken. My GoPro, MacBook, Ray-bans, and Bose headphones were gone, on top of smaller things that I have recently learned of and I’m sure there’s more that I haven’t even noticed yet.
Being a recovering drama queen, the world had ended for about an hour, and the Lord waited graciously for me to finish, then gave me an unexplainable amount of peace. He gave me a calmness and joy about this whole situation. He gave me a compassion for the person who robbed me and my neighbors, and he reminded me that He takes what was meant for evil and turns it to good. I need only trust His plan and be patient.
**Flash forward to about a week and a half later**
I was on my way to the gym, having another ROCKIN day. I felt so full of joy and contentment in the Lord and His presence and goodness. As I was pulling in, I saw a homeless man sitting at the corner. And you already know I pulled the Christian classic “don’t look or else God’s gonna tell you to help them” move, because I was in a hurry. When I parked at the gym, I couldn’t go in. I knew that God was asking me to do exactly what I was avoiding. It almost seemed like the Holy Spirit was turning my head in his direction to see what he’s doing, what he’s wearing, what possessions he’s got with him.
“BUT GOD, I don’t have any cash..”
“He doesn’t need cash, Emily. I want you to just talk to him.”
So I did. I went back to him and introduced myself and told him that the Lord wanted me to come over and meet him. His name is Tommy. I asked him how I could help him and he said he needed a good coat, and a flashlight. I thought perfect, I actually have that. I told Tommy to give me 15 minutes to go get some things, and to not go anywhere, because I’m coming back. I went straight home and I got my parka and my headlamp. But I heard the Lord nudging me to give more.
“God, I gave him my winter parka and headlamp, and I want to help, I do. But what else do I have to give??”
“How will he sleep Emily?”
“I don’t know, God. I didn’t see any sleeping stuff with him.”
“Then give him yours.”
And so I did, knowing full well that I will have to replace all of these things. I ended up grabbing my sleeping bag, sleeping pad, headlamp and parka, and I put them all in my pack duffel, so all of his things would be together in one place and protected. On my way back to Tommy, I looked in my passenger seat and saw the Bible I took with me to training camp. It wasn’t my original bible, but I took this one because it was small and easy to carry around. After training camp, I decided to take my every day bible with me on the race, so I no longer had a need for this one. But here’s the thing, all throughout training camp, I was marking and taking notes in this bible. Every sermon, every lesson, every small bit that the Lord was whispering to me through scripture was in that bible. Recurring themes of God’s love for us, God’s goodness and faithfulness, the monumental truth that we are born to be loved by God, our duty to bring the Kingdom every single day, all marked and highlighted and exclamation pointed.
I realized that before I even left for training camp, the Lord gave me this bible to only have for a short while. I was only meant to steward it well and highlight the Good News, and then pass it on to someone else. Isn’t that how our lives should look like as well? Filling ourselves up with the Lord and his Spirit and his scripture to overflow and then pass on to someone else?
On that note, let me take my gum out and preach for a second:
The Gospel is not meant to be locked up in a safe. OUR FAITH SHOULD NEVER BE PRIVATE. If you believe that God is who he says he is, and if God is truly the king of your life and he is working and moving in God-sized ways, then there is absolutely NO REASON you should keep that to yourself. God is to be glorified, always. In everything that we do. We should be shouting from the rooftops what he has done for us! And we are doing a great disservice to our Savior by keeping that behind closed doors.
I could go on for a least 3 more pages, but we’ll save that sermon for another time.
Now back to Tommy.
I returned to him with the things and prayed that the Spirit moves and stewards my time with him. I showed him everything I brought, and I showed him how to use and roll everything back up to fit back in their bags. Then we sat down and we just got to know each other. We talked about our lives and how the Lord has been faithful to us in the good times and in the struggles. I was able to pray with him, and offer my bible to him. He gladly took it, and said his last bible was stolen from him. I love the way the God brings things around in full circle. I talked about training camp and I talked about the markings in my bible and what they mean to me. After chatting for about 2 hours, it was starting to get dark. So I ran over to the grocery store to get him some food and water, and then went on my way.
The next morning a cold front blew in, and since then, it hasn’t gone away. It’s gotten as low as 20 degrees at night.
The Lord is so intentional with the way he guides us and provides for us. He knew Tommy had a need that I could fulfill, and he perfectly crafted our lives to the very moment that we could meet. I love that he whispers into our ears and asks that we are obedient to his calling. I love how gentle he is with his children, and I love how he leads us to take care of one another.
Even when we have little, even when we are blessed with abundance, and even when much has been taken. Even when it feels like we have nothing to give, and better yet, even when we think that we’ve given everything we could. He asks us to lay ALL that we have at his feet.
We are commanded to bring his Kingdom, always. Our mission doesn’t start when we land in Australia, and it certainly doesn’t end when we return to America. The mission to make Heaven crowded is constant. Living and loving like Jesus is a choice we must make every single morning.
I would be lying if I said all of this is easy. My flesh gets anxious about fundraising, and now my flesh wonders how on earth I am going to replace what got stolen and what was given to Tommy. But I press deeper into Philippians 4:4-7. I know God will move for me, and give me peace while he works. I know he will give me what I need, in his timing.
“May my struggles keep me near the cross.
May my troubles show me that I need God.
May my battles end the way they should.
May my bad days prove that God is good.
May my whole life prove that God is good.”
Please pray for the person that robbed me and my neighbors, pray for the detective working my case. Pray for Tommy and that the Lord continues to protect and provide. Please pray for me. Pray that the Lord blesses my fundraising and brings generous hearts into my life, and pray that the Lord works to help me replace what now needs to be replaced. Lastly, pray that I continue to be sensitive and obedient to our Father’s voice.
Xoxo,
Em
