Obedient
“compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority”
Yesterday we went to Thailand, and this is how the story begins. The night before we were riding in the car on the way to P.T.’s (our ministry Contact’s) friend’s baby dedication, and some how the topic of Thailand came up. We expressed how we really wanted to go and how we really just wanted to add a stamp to our passport. As we asked, P.T.’s response was one I didn’t expect, “Can can” he said. He said he would arrange it. We didn’t know how much validity to put into it so we just trusted that if we were going he would tell us the time to be up and ready. He never texted so we assumed if things didn’t work out he would call in the morning. Sure enough we woke up to the honking of the “rented van” and Micheal knocking on our door saying “shall we go to Thailand?” We rushed and got ready and left to Thailand with 5 other Indians including P.T. He asked what was the plan for what we were going to do there and he goes “what about Tattoo’s?” I had previously promised my parents that I would not get any on the Race especially since I had gotten two right before I left. But for some reason I had a strong desire to get a Tamil Tattoo, in Thailand, with Pastor Thomas. So I did.
I got the Word Obedient, written out in the Indian language Tamil. Pastor Thomas was the one who wrote it out for me in the Tamil characters. Which makes the Tattoo that much more symbolic. My team and I have had the best experience in Malaysia, one that has changed most of our lives forever. So we have all wanted to get a word that the Lord has spoken over us tattooed on Tamil.
Why the word “obedient” though? While In Malaysia I have been walking in a season of pure blessing. During Guatemala I walked through a season of planting I was working hard and planting planting planting planting and planting. I felt the Lord really stretching me as I was leaving the comforts of home behind. It took the act of obedience to willing do this and to really press into what the Lord wanted from me. In Malaysia the Lord is allowing me to harvest from that growth, and the only way he has allowed that is because of me being “obedient” to him while in Guatemala.
But…
It doesn’t just end there. If you know me or have known me, I have a strong passion for Criminal justice, and being a police officer. I have a passion for helping the helpless. After having the best most passionate Mrs. Jennifer Read as a criminal justice teacher. I put off a year of school to do Gap year and be “obedient” to the Lord. So I figured I would just finish the Race and study criminal justice. But the Lord threw me a curve ball. He spoke over me very clearly ” I have given you the voice of a teacher, to preach and pastor.” I have always said when I grow I just want to be a Joyce Meyers. Lately I have wanted to really dive into the Word and speak it. So before I knew it he was preparing me. I have prayed and prayed that my plans would be the Lord’s. Selfishly I want to be a police officer, but I know that Lord is calling me to pastoral work. In this comes my anthem, for the rest of my life I want to live my life in accordance to the Plans that God has for me. In my being “obedient” the Lord is going to bless me.
Please pray that I figure out exactly what after the Race “being a pastor” looks like.
P.S. I now have a Tamil tattoo, written by the coolest Thomas from our spur of the moment Thailand trip. It was a new needle in a very sterile environment. And also it was approved by my parents.
