Ephesians 3: 14-19
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
I sat with my IPod turned on to my worship music, underneath a huge tree in a downtown park in Coleraine, Ireland. I prayed, “God show me, give me a sign, what do you want me to take out of this next year? What is your goal for me on this trip?” Well the book Ephesians came to my mind and then the numbers 3 & 15, naturally I looked up the verse. This was the answer I was looking for. Previously I had an epiphany about this trip, I needed to start living this trip for God and not for me. My journey this next year isn’t about how many pictures I can take, how many tours I can go on or even how many fun extra activities I can do. When I signed up for this race, I signed up to live this year out for God. I realized when I got to Ireland that I had really been living a lot for me these passed few months, avoiding spending time in His word and instead doing my own thing. I have been selfish and specially being in Ireland [the one place that dad and I have been talking about going to for as long as I can remember], I wanted to go see my family castle, get a hold of relatives here and see where dad’s family started. To my astonishment God told me that all of these things would still be there when I come back later [after the race], but the people on my squad, the ministry I am part of, won’t be here when I come back. He told me that I have my whole life to travel the world, [the way I want to] but I only have eleven months to make an impact on this squad and the people I come in contact with because I may never see them again. So I realize that all the tours and sight seeing can be done another time, but now I am here to serve God and perform His will.
This all ties into the verse that God gave me. It talks about how every family in heaven and on earth is named from the Father [God]. God is my family, my Father, this year that is one thing I feel God is really calling me to embrace. That God is my Father, that I can/should call Him that and now being in Ireland [where my dad is from] God is just pushing that so much more. It’s a struggle for me but I am slowly getting there day by day. God also wants me to be deeply rooted in Him by the end of this year. That may sound silly, like how could you not be deeply rooted in Him after a year of being gone and living out His will. Well God is calling me home after this year, I can feel Him showing me all these opportunities back home. Chances to start ministering to people in my community, and in doing that I will have to be extremely strongly rooted in Him. I will have to go back with a strong faith and no hesitation, even when other people laugh at me. I will have to go back to the mess I left my old life and have the strength to continue to live out Gods plan for my life and not fall back into the trap of my old life. So this year God is going to show me, where to look for strength and how to stand strong even when its easier to give in. By the time June comes, I will be filled with the fullness of Christ.
