Whether you turn to your right or to your left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” – Isaiah 30:21
I want this verse to be true for me. I want my ears to hear God say, “This is the way; walk in it.”
I have to admit, I rush and miss God’s invitations a lot. I feel a stirring in my heart and sometimes I brush it off.
We all have those times we wish the voice of God would audibly speak so loudly there’s no way we could miss it: This is the direction I want you to go. Then we’d know whether to stay the course or head in a new direction.
Knowing when to stop and when to keep on keeping on is a crucial life lesson. One I want to learn well. Often, the more I struggle on my own, the less confident I am with the right next step. It’s exhausting!
When I headed home after the World Race, I didn’t know much other than I was exactly where I was supposed to be: home.
I kept going to God asking for answers and all I received was His presence. That was clarity for me. And clarity from the Lord dispels fear. All He was asking of me was that I personally receive from Him before I set out to work for Him. And in doing so, I will be fueled by His power and encouraged by His presence. I am continually learning that this is the daily sacred exchange where ministry duty turns into pure delight.
After the World Race, God asked me to go home. To rest. And the realist in me was like, that’s complete crap! This is America, I need a job, this life isn’t free, and I am totally capable of work!
But what did God ask me to do?
Not work.
Not working felt like an eraser. I felt totally new—like I’d forgotten all the wisdom I learned before. Like I was starting over. It was like spiritual amnesia. And I hated it a little bit. I felt untethered. I had no daily rhythm.
And when I talked to God about it, when I said to God: What’s the deal with all the erasing? Why must I start all over again? God said: Honey, take heart. I am doing a new thing.
And when I said: But I worked so hard to know all those things, God. And it’s my job to know things. People line up to hear me say things I know…
To which God replied: Silly. You know nothing. You don’t teach by knowing, you teach by loving. You can do that. They don’t come to hear what you know, they come to hear your awe. And awe comes from having childlike eyes. Fresh. Post-erased eyes.
Beginning again leaves no room for pride. It’s a gift. A beautiful and hard gift.
Many amazing opportunities came up while I was at home. I was offered a few jobs that my younger self wouldn’t have even hesitated in saying yes to. However, if I were to have got a job and ignored His leading, I would have missed out on aligning my heart with His for what He was calling me to next. God was asking me to wait, to abide, to delight, and to dwell with Him.
He provides.
What I needed to learn was that not every opportunity was meant to be my assignment. And that my call to be compassionate has to include myself and therefore it’s ok to say no. The thing is, I realized that for so many years—all I wanted was the assignment but I wanted to avoid the assessment. I was constantly focused on DOING rather than BECOMING.
So, what’s next for Lyndsee?
I’m moving. To Georgia.
I heard the Lord say, “This is the way; walk in it.”
I applied to a leadership school at Adventures in Missions (the same organization I went on the World Race with) called Center for Global Action (CGA). CGA is a 5 month intensive leadership and discipleship program in Georgia designed to equip people in living missionally wherever they go. CGA invests in recreating biblical community through teaching, scripture, and activation. The curriculum is based on knowing yourself, leading yourself, and leading others. The months ahead will not be easy and will challenge me to lean and rely on God in profound ways.
You can check out CGA’s website here.
Here’s how you can help. In order to attend CGA, I need to raise $5,950. I need to have $2,000 raised by January 18th, when the program starts. This money will cover program costs and my housing for CGA. I also need to raise additional support for the cross-country road trip from Washington to Georgia. As I take this huge leap of faith in trusting the Lord, would you prayerfully consider financially supporting me?
CGA is currently working on getting my blog with a donation portal set up. However, with just over a month until the program starts, you can donate to me directly through Venmo (@Lyndsee-Landon). I will also be selling t-shirts and posting additional information about CGA soon!
Life is hard.
We can do hard things.
I love you.
Thank you for doing life with me.
Lyndz
