Here we are in Month 2 already…it’s amazing how quickly time slips through your fingers. You hear from previous racers, AIM staff, and friends how your race can disappear before you know it. Yet somehow you don’t believe them, you brush it off, “that won’t happen to me”…until it does. You find yourself at a bus station in Chiclayo, Peru, waiting for your last connection to your ministry site for the second month of ministry…and you realize that time is an elusive beast.
This isn’t to say that my first month was wasted, not by any means. Ecuador is an incredible country full of remarkable people…God is moving there in huge ways! I was blessed to play a small role in His purposes in Quito. I forged new friendships that I hope will last many years. The Lord challenged me to go deeper with Him, and deeper with my community. He revealed how often I let fear dictate my decisions and my willingness to commit to relationships or activities. But in His ever-increasing grace and mercy for me, His patience prevails.
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another… There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” 1 John 4:11, 18
So friends, family, supporters…here are my prayers for this month. I would love it if you would join me and ask the Father for the following (not just for me, but ask the Lord for the same things for you and yours as well):
released expectations
Webster defines expectations as follows:
a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.
This is not to say that I don’t want to have expectations for this month. Because I absolutely do. The key element is who has a grip on my expectations? Let it be Jesus.
I don’t want to cling to my own expectations for what ministry “should” or “shouldn’t” look like.
I don’t want to cling to my own expectations for what my team dynamic should be.
I don’t want to cling to my own expectations for how God should show up in my life.
I don’t want to cling to my own expectations for what my daily “needs” are.
The list could go on and on…
I want to cling to Jesus and the truth I know about who He is and His purposes on the earth. Period.
