“Do you believe God wants to give you good gifts?”
That’s the question my teammate asked me as we sat discussing my upcoming financial deadline. (It was nearing the end of October and I was still in need of $3400). The question shook me up a little bit. I know that she didn’t mean for it to be a challenge, but the weight of the question made it really hard to answer quickly.
The more I reflected on the question, the more I realized how wrong my answer was. I had come to the conclusion that if I accepted that the answer was “No” then that would be easier to explain things that have happened in my past.
I knew that the Lord was a loving God who greatly desired to be with His kids. I knew that He loved to provide all the needs of His kids. But maybe that was the extent of it. Maybe He didn’t desire to give ALL of His kids good gifts. Maybe I wasn’t included in all of the things He promised.
As silly as that sounds, that was where I was at just six weeks ago. I knew that the Lord would provide because He told me that everything would be provided and He doesn’t hold back on His promises. But somewhere deep down I didn’t feel worthy of the support people would give. This is because at some point I stopped believing who the Lord said I was and I let my self worth be determined by past experiences.
Then the Lord took an entire month to show me exactly who He says I am:
I am His Beloved.
I am His chosen servant.
I am a daughter of the living God.
I am His treasured possession.
I am an heir to the throne.
I am repaired to restore.
I am sent with authority.
I am an over comer.
I could go on and on but I think the most beautiful truth the Lord showed me this past month is that I am somebody the Lord fights for. I am somebody who He delights giving good gifts to. And I am worthy of these gifts because He says I am worthy.
In the midst of learning these truths, the Lord blessed me in incredible ways. I saw Him provide for me to stay on the Race, nearly doubling what was in my account at the end of October. But now I was able to accept these gifts without guilt because I know who the Lord says I am.
Not only did He bless me financially, but He also blessed me with incredible friendships throughout the month of Vietnam. In the last week of our time in Vietnam, I was literally showered with gifts from my sweet new friends. Each time I met up with one of my friends, I was given a gift. These gifts included notes, key chains, bracelets, a scarf, Christmas ornaments, post cards, etc. It was yet another beautiful display of the Lord affirming that He desires to give me good gifts, and He used my new friends to show me this.
Are there things you believe about yourself that are shaped by your experiences rather than who God says you are? My challenge for you is to spend time seeking the truth about who God says you are.
I cannot thank each of you enough for the support you have given. I am so excited to be able to continue on this journey called the World Race and it wouldn’t have been possible without your support. Thanks for being a part of my journey. I have been so overwhelmed by the amount of support I have received in the past month.
As of right now I only need a little over $2400 to be fully funded. I have seen the Lord provide in incredible ways in this past month and I know He’s not done yet. If you would like to be part of helping me reach my final deadline, you can do so by clicking on the Support Me tab to the left. Thank you again for all of your prayers and support!
