Have you ever been so set on something and if it doesn’t happen you question if God has good plans?
I have many times. I’ve learned through them, I’ve cried and been upset through them. In the back of my mind there is always that “this may or may not happen so don’t get your hopes up” thought. Unfortunately that’s how my mind works, I sincerely hope for the best and seek it out but it’s a little pest in my mind that crushes me a little when it doesn’t happen. Weather it’s dreams, careers, relationships, or the World Race… I hope for the best. When things don’t go “as planned” you just have to go with the flow, no sense of getting upset and making a tantrum. So in my experience I’ve just been happy and tried to put on a smile and say “oh it’s okay, it will be fine”, which is an accurate description of me because that’s just how I am. But when bigger things mess up I have a struggle in my mind with God of why it has to happen and why it couldn’t have gone as planned. But since I’m being very vague I will expand.
On the World Race we have a set route in the beginning of where we are going for our trip, and when we sign up it is well known that countries might change due to reasons in the countries like war, safety issues, travel issues etc… so they encourage strongly on being flexible in the beginning. Our route changed once before launch, we were scheduled to go to Bangladesh and it changed to Myanmar. Cool. I’m still flexible because I’ve never been to any of these countries so I’m literally excited for anything and what God has in store. One of my favorite songs before and still is “I will follow” by Chris Tomlin,
Where you go I’ll go
Where you stay I’ll stay
When you move I’ll move
I will follow…..
We Christians belt it out all the time. But at the same time making all these heart set plans, which is perfectly fine as long as you are in complete trust with God and laying them out before Him. When I was praying for what route to take, God specifically lead me to this route even though it was a little more expensive than the others. In prayer, God highlighted China, no other route had China and honestly signing up I didn’t care where I was going as long as God was leading me. And He did, I was accepted and prepared accordingly, looking forward the most to China because I knew God had something amazing there. If you would have asked me what country I was most looking forward to, I would have said all of them honestly and China. The people, the history, the once in a lifetime opportunity to take Christ to this place, underground churches, the thought of fearless faith etc.. I can see now how much I have built China up in my head for ministry. I have also built up Mongolia in my head. The other night our squad had a meeting with our leaders and discussed that because of failed visas, and issues with travel we couldn’t enter China or Mongolia.
I don’t think I’ve ever been that disappointed. We all held it together well and had an unusually raw worship night that entailed many things. God was speaking to us in new ways, they said the Race would require flexibility, but how that ends up looking in our relationship with God looks like trusting and having faith in His ways. I can hear all the Bible verses spoken from that night, God has good plans and His ways are not our plans.
God is taking us deeper in trusting Him, in relying on Him, having faith, and being obedient to Him. Is it hard? Heck yeah, why would God lead me to this route? I was convicted of that same song I sung at the top of my lungs before the race “Where you go I’ll go, where you stay I’ll stay, when you move I’ll move, I will follow.” God asked me if I would follow Him even to places and to people I never planned of? If He’s not leading us to China or Mongolia I will follow Him where He does lead. I’m not in control and that’s okay, it’s hard but I will choose to follow God’s word and not my own or mans. I will choose to follow the Holy Spirit. I will choose to trust that His word is good and He is good all the days of my life, because that’s who He is. It’s a dangerous prayer to pray, God you have control, because it becomes real, God you are always good because our faith will be tested, God take me deeper… it looks like trust.
God is still guiding me to go to Him with everything, even things that I don’t like, it’s okay to do that, He will still speak to us and comfort us.
Prayers for our team. To lay down our own selfish motives, our plans, and our ways down at the feet of Jesus.
“Give me faith to trust what you say, that Your good and Your love is great, I’m broken inside I give you my life” Elevation Worship: Give Me Faith
Ps. 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call to Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord.”
John 10:3-4 “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
James 4:13-16 “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit;” whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
There were many instances where Paul on his missionary journeys couldn’t go to be with a church even though he earnestly desired too. But Gods plan prevailed in his plans and he knew that. Romans 1
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to HIS purpose.
Instead of letting the flesh control our attitudes, let God do His work in us.
With that being said, I am truly excited for anything God has in store on the Race, He has led us to going to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia for two and a half months!! He does have good things in store because He is a good Father and will not give a stone to a child who asked for bread. It was never about our own motives going to these countries anyway, wherever we go, we bring the Kingdom of God, not our will but His will be done.
And who knows maybe God has a plan to one day go to China. A disappointment God can change to a divine appointment.
Thank you to my supporters and followers on this journey! Your prayers are felt and requested even more! I have about $2,000 left to raise and am so pleased to give testimonies that through it all God provides for everything. All I have is grace.
Love Gabby:)
