"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – In Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" – Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8)
THE GREAT COMMISSION (as seen by Kristina Smith) …
I'm an engineer by trade. I spent 4 years in college and the last 6 years in the professional world developing a very structural and procedural mindset. In other words, I'm not that artistic or abstract. I like for things to make sense. I like science, I like facts, and I love proving theory. That sort of stuff excites the snot out of me! So if facts say that A = B and B = C, then in theory A = C … Now, I want to prove it! It makes sense and I believe it, but let me see that property come to life and you have really gotten my attention. Please excuse the nerd in me.
I'm also in love with a man named Jesus. I know and have experienced too much of his love for myself to ever doubt Him, or His word. This love that I have for him pulls on my heart, instead of my head, but the pull is so strong that I can't ignore it. (I'm sure most of you know what it's like to be in love, so I'm not gonna even try to explain that one). Naturally, my need for structure and sensibility comes into play here, but not in the way that most would think. For most people, science draws them away from knowing God; because my desire for Him is so strong, it does the opposite for me. I hope I'm not losing you yet, but here is my logic:
B) Jesus is The Word of God made flesh – John 1:14
C) The Word of God says that I will go into the world, preach the Good News, make disciples, become his witness, cast out demons, heal the sick, and be full of the Holy Spirit
Bringing this back to math and science, I see that I love Jesus (A) … Jesus is the Word (B) … So that must mean that I love the Word! Now the Word says that I will do all of these amazing things once I am filled with the Holy Spirit (C). So if I've already proven that I love the Word, then why on earth am I not loving and doing the amazing things that make up the word??!!? That's the piece of the puzzle that drives me crazy. So much so, that I have literally felt pain from the fact that I was not doing the things that the Lord said I would do with the Holy Spirit. I was not going into all the world, and miraculous signs were not accompanying me. It doesn't make sense! I NEED IT TO MAKE SENSE!!! And this, my friends, is the thing that has created a void in me. A void so big that I cannot ignore it, as much as I have tried, it will not go away. Something is missing, something does not add up, and I am determined to piece it all together.
Do you still want to know why I decided to become a missionary? (Wow, am I a missionary?? I can't even believe I'm calling myself that!). Are you still intrigued about why I have chosen to go on this World Race? It's simply because when I read the bible, when I read those last words of Jesus, I believe it! And now it's time to see it! Time for me to live out what I've been reading and believing for so long. To me, this is the result of a process many years in the making, but to Him, it is just the beginning. He has ordered me to go, so I will go.
If you'd like to be a part of my mission and see the hand of God moving as I go into all the world, please subscribe to my blog by entering your email to the left. I'd love to keep you updated with everything that's going on, including the happenings before I head out in September.
