As I write I am only 29 days and $900 away from launching on the World Race, and things are finally starting to feel a little more real. On Thursday I said goodbye to my co-workers at Standard Register, and in 2 short weeks I will be saying goodbye to the girls at Shepherd’s Hill Farm and to my little one bedroom apartment that I moved into almost a year and a half ago. It is hard to believe that it is already almost time to leave – when I first moved back to Toccoa last September, a one year lease seemed like a lifetime commitment and I began a job so overwhelming I thought for sure I would fail and have to quit within a few months. Now, a year and a half later I stand looking back over all that the Lord has brought me through in what turned out to be a very short year and a half – some crazy challenges and difficult adjustments, but also some amazing new friendships and life lessons that I know will be a part of me for the rest of my life. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade my time in Toccoa for anything, because it turned out to be such an intimate time with the Lord. Through the struggles and lonely times, He was there holding my hand. Through the good times and the fun new experiences, He was rejoicing with me. And even when I was lonely and no one else was around, He was there. I have felt His presence more this past year than I have in a long time, and it was refreshing.
I am excited about what God is going to do through my team and in my team – I know that not a single one of us will come back the same, and that excites me!
So let the countdown begin – 29 days and $900 to go, and I know that the Lord will continue to faithfully provide during these last 29 days as He has for the last 3 and a half months as I have prepared for this trip. I ask that you will continue to cover me in prayer over these next few weeks. I could not have asked for a more amazing group to have as a prayer team, and I thank God for each one of you who have been faithfully praying for me and generously giving toward this trip. Please pray that the Lord will give me peace and assurance that I am walking in His will as I step out in faith to go. The past few weeks have been a little bit of a struggle as I begin to face the reality of goodbyes and the sacrifices I will be making to answer this calling. Please pray that I will not give in to doubt or discouragement, but that I will be able to hear the Lord’s still small voice above all else.
I pray that the Lord will bless each one of you abundantly during this Christmas season. In the midst of the Christmas craze, I encourage you to never lose sight of the ultimate Gift that He gave us in His Son. In light of God’s priceless Gift I encourage you; live loud – make a difference. Do not sit by and let the enemy have his way in destroying lives. Be involved right where you are – change the world! We are Christ’s light to the world, so shine for Him this Christmas.
