Janurary 5, 2019:
Where were you ?
Lately I’ve been caught up in reminiscing this past year. As dates come and go, my mind fills with questions of where I was this time last year? Who was I with? What was I doing? What was God doing in my heart?
I’m fortunate to have photos to remember days gone by and journal entries of what was occurring in my heart.
Today, January 5th 2020 my friend tagged me in a photo from this day last year. There on a hill overlooking the old city of Jerusalem were 6 smiling girls, fully alive, joyful, and so enthralled at the opportunity to be walking the Holy Land (also freezing cuz it was coooold).
It’s so surreal and almost feels as though it didn’t even happen.
Today I found myself flipping to my journal entry from this day a year ago and I would like to share with you what I found. In its pages I first described my gratitude for the beautiful morning I was gifted. Reading my words takes me back to that morning on the balcony of our hostel in Bethlehem overlooking the sunrise over the city. I thanked God for this intimate gift of a soft glow of the sunrise and a warm cup of coffee in my hand. God knows us so intimately. He sees us as individuals and He knows us each so personally and intimately. For He created us, you see, and He knows what fills our souls and speaks to our hearts.
I continued with a request: I asked the Lord to give me words to speak that need to be spoken and words that don’t need to be said to escape my mind. I asked for whole, full, good interactions and conversations with people. I asked to be the eyes, ears, mouth, hands and heart of God. And then I asked God on behalf of the church that we may be fully awakened and come to truly know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. May we experience the presence of God in fresh ways and our hearts set on fire. May we know what it is to be loved and may we pass that love on to all we meet. May we choose love over pride; others over ourselves; and seek Him every moment of every day. Jesus, come and reign in us.
This is my prayer every day as I reminisce the past, rest in today, and look to the future.
And today, as we dream of what the year 2020 might hold for us, may we learn to live fully alive in all that we are created to be.
And to use the cliché: Let’s LIVE LAUGH and LOVE this year.
Friends: In less than 2 weeks I will be launching onto the field once again to spend a month in Nepal and 2 months in India partnering with organizations in the mission to share the gospel with the unreached. I’m pumped to experience new cultures and meet new people and I’m expectant for what is to come. Please continue this journey with me as we experience these next 3 months together. I covet your prayers for travels, health, and unity. Thank you all for all that you are and all the love you have shown me.
2020, here’s to you.
