Happy 2013 to all whom I
love! Well, it’s January. A new year that also brings month 7 of my
World Race. With the New Year here it
has brought me to a new team. I am now a
part of Team Go For It with my team leader Luke Duffney, his wife Chelsey, Drea Stadler, Gabe Sanchez, and Carter Gannon. As Luke said in our first team time
together, “It’s month one of a five month World Race.” That’s how I am viewing the next 5 months
with my team. This is a new chapter and
new season of my World Race and I’m excited to discover what more the Father
has for me to learn.
God is always teaching me
something. Each country and month brings
a new lesson. Last season when I was a part
of Team Cypress (Romania and Moldova) it had brought a huge, hard lesson that
wrapped up with a revelation from God.
My Father was teaching me about unconditional
love.
“A
generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
Proverbs 11:25
Unconditional love, huh? I didn’t realize there were different “types”
of love. I always thought love was just love,
simple as that. Love is not simple, it’s
complex. Love can be hard. And unconditional love is the hardest and it sucks
sometimes, but my Father tells me to love like that and to do it well.
According to Webster’s dictionary, unconditional
means “not limited by conditions; absolute.”
The word conditional means “made or allowed on certain times;
imposing, containing, subject to, or depending on a condition or conditions,
not absolute.”
During one night of
worship in Thailand, the Lord brought me to my knees. My spirit was crying out to be loved. I was feeling so empty. I was pouring out so much of my love, being
intentional with others and seeking affirmation from my squad mates rather than
God. I heard my Father tell me “Just love like I
do.” Thanks, easier said than
done.
“In
everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the
weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to
give than to receive.'” Acts 20:35
My job is to
be loved outrageously – by God, my Father!
My Father helped me form my
own definitions of what unconditional and conditional love look like. Conditional love is getting love back in
return, or placing an expectation on a person to receive validation and
confirmation. Unconditional love is when
you love somebody; you should love without expecting anything in return. God loves unconditionally. He doesn’t ask much from us, and time after
time, as much as we screw up, He still loves.
We don’t have to give anything to Him, yet He still loves, still pursues
us.
After going through all
this with my Father and His word, I came to my revelation. God wanted me to learn how to recognize how
to love unconditionally because I have to know and be familiar with it for my
ministry after the World Race. And then
I thought back to my four years working at Bedford North Lawrence High
School. I didn’t always feel appreciated
and I remember coming home some times and feeling fed up and confused on why I
continued to show up every day.
“When
you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who
were lagging behind; they had no fear of God.
When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in
the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the
name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” Deuteronomy 26:7
Don’t lag
behind! Get the rest needed God gives
you – get your inheritance!
As you all know from my
revelation in Moldova, my primary ministry is with high school athletes. I love my job and I am proud to be an
athletic trainer! When you work with
teenagers, you have to be able to love unconditionally if your spirit is going
to survive because as most know, teenagers think they are invincible and you’re
not always going to get conditional love and affirmation you think you deserve.
“They
have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are
a rebellious people.” Ezekiel 12:2
They don’t
know what to see or hear – show them!
So, Thank you Father for
teaching me how to love unconditionally and what it looks like. You have great plans for me and they are
unfolding in Your time right before my eyes.
“With
a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The
curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in
front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Mark 15:37-39
Remember the
victory & the power of our God!
Thank You Jesus for the good times and the hard times.
I want to
leave you with a challenge. It’s a new
year. Instead of making a resolution
that you’ll break in three months, how about you make declarations over
yourself for the year 2013. What do you
declare over yourself for 2013? How do
you want to be seen? I encourage you to
write them out and post them in your room where you can see it every day or
write them down in a journal. Below are
mine.
Lynsey’s New Year Declarations
I am a DAUGHTER
of the Most High God!
I LOVE
WELL because my Father says so and my love comes from Him
I am WORTHY
to love and to be loved
I am ENOUGH!
Just me. I have nothing to prove. Just be me & love.
I am ACCEPTED
because my Father accepted me first. He
is all that matters.
I am an ORIGINAL. There is and will only be one Lynsey Marie Dawson!
I am a NEW
woman. I won’t be the same when I left
in 2012. I am becoming a better version
of myself and I am walking in newness – Newness with my Father!
I am Reborn.
I am Free!
I live from
victory, not for it! Jesus wins.
G-Squad, Immersion, YWAM, and SHE ministry staff Christmas Celebration! There were 50+ people present…..needless to say, we all had a wonderful Christmas in Thailand!
Me & Courtney with our new Thai friends, Yo & Tai
Myself, Nini, Courtney & Kiera. I love this group here!
Team Go For It: Luke, Myself, Chelsey, Gabe, Carter, & Drea
In JESUS’
name, Amen! <3
