In the dining hall at Liberty, with a full plate of fries studying for an ethics exam my sweet friend shared with me about this crazy thing called the world race that she could “see me doing”. We joked about doing it together, but truthfully, initially I totally blew her off. Fast forward three weeks and I was boarding a plane to Uganda. Where my heart and soul and mind were wrecked for international, short-term, missions.
Does our God have a sense of humor or what?
It wasn’t but a few months after coming home that the Lord started laying on my heart the desire to pursue missions. What I thought would look like a few years abroad, in one country, slowly began to fade as the Lord kept bringing up the World Race. Truthfully, I fought it and fought it hard. Until finally, I had the courage to surrender what I thought was right for me, and the nations, and my ideas of “best practices”. As always, He knew best.
So, after doing lots of research, talking to multiple people on the phone, and called my dad to hear him out and see what he thought. Standing outside the library at Liberty, with shaky hands I told him I knew it was expensive, and it was a long time to be gone, and I didn’t have a clue how I would make it work but I felt God calling me to it.
A week later I paid the $150 deposit and confirmed that I was going to do it. Moments later, full of fear and anxiety I walked into the hall and had a stranger hand me $100 in cash and pray over me, simply because God told him to. That, Jake from Jesus moment, began in me a season full of relying on God for finances, and peace, and assurance from the most unlikely of places.
Walking hand in hand with the Father as moment by moment, He called me to surrender my ideas of what was perfect and walk with him. Following Him lead me to switch up my plans and work for WinShape another summer, take an internship in D.C., and so many other big things and little things. All of which have brought me here today.
Tomorrow morning, I’ll be hitting the road with a giant backpack to meet my team in Atlanta and head out on the World Race. Two years later, we’re doing this crazy thing my friend told me about over a plate of fries.
When I look back I cannot think of anything better to define this past year then the fact that He’s faithful. He is so, so, so faithful. He is faithful in the big things and in the small things. He is faithful in the mundane things and in the life-altering, scary things. He is faithful to provide. Faithful to give. Faithful to remain constant. He is faithful to provide awareness and assurance. He’s faithful to His word. He’s faithful to never leave me alone, to never stop loving me, to never stop pursuing me. He’s just so faithful.
& just as He was faithful before, I know He will be faithful again. And just has He has been faithful to me, He will be faithful to you too. It’s who He is.
So, let’s do this thing. Next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Medellin Colombia!
Much love & Many blessings, Lauren
