During our mini debrief in Siem Reap each of our team leaders gave a talk on something they wanted to leave us with. Rachel (my team leader!!!!! Miss you so much raychild) talked about the power of prayer and incorporated her story. Abigail talked about the liminal space (which I will explain in my blog about Pride) of debrief and how to process these really unique times throughout the race. Corbyn listened to the Father and gave a talk that honestly, blew my mind and slapped me awake with how I am supposed to live.
Corbyn began her time with her personal testimony. The cup that God had poured for her and how she became a team leader. Corbyn did exactly what I did, last year. In fact, her squad went to Cambodia and did the exact same ministry our squad did in month one of our race. It was month 5 of their race and was where they did PVT (Parent Vision trip) and for their squad, Cambodia was really, really hard. Most of their squad was either very sick or in a deep B zone.
Deb her mentor and coincidentally mine as well asked Corbyn in that month if she wanted to be the first group to alumni team lead for gap year that upcoming September. She was really taken back by this and went in very hesitant. This isn’t what she had planned. Her cup that He poured for her in that moment was not what she would have filled it with at all and it was hard to drink it but she did it anyways because He is good. Because He is always good no matter what.
She took us to Matthew 7:21-27
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”
What this part of the passage is talking about is the correct answer. The correct answer would be like, “Im going to do the Christian thing right now. Im going to pray, I’m going to ask the Lord, I’m going to wear this Christian T-shirt, I’m gonna go on a missions trip… those are the Christian things but what this passage tells us is that this isn’t going to get us anywhere. Corbyn asked us to reflect on these past 3 months and honestly, our whole lives. She asked us, “what have you been doing?” I’m on a missions trip or more like I’m on a journey with the Father. What have I been doing? Has it been of the Father’s will or has it been my will? Has it been me inviting Him into my space and where I’m at or has it been what I’ve wanted? Have I just been hanging out with the people on my team and doing what I want. Have I been stepping in ? Have I been asking Jesus what he’s saying?
The answer is no. I haven’t been asking God, like really asking. Hearing him, asking him. Creating a space for Him to communicate His will over my life.
Verse 21 of Corbyn’s bible translation states, “what is required is SERIOUS OBEDIENCE doing what the Father will.”
Looking in perspective of Jesus, it took major seriousness & surrender of the Father’s will to leave heaven, come to earth and die for each of us on the cross. Take a moment, wow, he LEFT heaven to come HERE. This place is broken, mediocre… that took major obedience. I know I would not have wanted to do that at all. It took Jesus doing something he definitely didn’t want to do because he loves us and he knew the Father’s will is perfect.
So what is my call, what is God charging me to do? Which is seriously obeying him, getting out of “myself” mindset, this race isn’t about me, this team isn’t about me, this squad isn’t about me… it’s about God. It’s about loving God and loving people. By doing those two things we obey the Father. We fulfill the perfect law.
Romans 10:7-10
You’re not doing anything, you are simply calling out to God and simply trusting him. That is salvation.
That’s the how. You actually don’t do anything you just walk in faith – say it aloud, “this is hard” “I don’t know how to do this” “what is He calling me into in this next season?”
God is asking you to step into faith, into him and out of yourself out of your fears, out of your complacency, out of “I just want to watch Netflix”, out of your “I want to take a nap by this fan”. Whatever it may be, it’s stepping out of that and saying, “Okay, God what do you will for this time” “what do you will for the next 6 months of my life” “what do you will for my team?” “What do you will to serve this ministry right now” “what do you will for me to wear today?” Always ask God’s will in all things.
The how, how do I do that? By faith. You let Him do it, you just shut up and ask, literally, sit and ask God, “What do you have for me?”
Then, Corbyn brought us to James 4:4-10;
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
This passage is another self evaluation for me. He’s talking about keeping yourself aligned with the spirit, it takes action. Keep every thought captive. When your thinking a thought and you say “oh, this isn’t of God, alright I want that out” we’re human we have those moments. But honestly, even watching tv. Watching Netflix is really popular in the world and on the race. What you are watching doesn’t even have to be something that is bad and convicts your heart, it could be scooby doo but we must ask ourselves is this the best use of God’s time? Is this the best use of God’s breath in our lungs?
He is jealous of my time. Corbyn challenged us to RUNAWAY with Jesus way more! Go run away with the Father and be fulfilled by his love. We will never find or receive the love that God fulfills us with, so runaway with Him, FEEL that love.
Let God do his will in you.
LET GOD. God is a gentleman. Let me talk to you. Let me use you. All we have to do is say “okay” and He will do the rest.
Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Purify your inner life. Sit with the Father. Sit and hit bottom with Him. When the passage says …. it means sit with God and cry your eyes out. Feel it. Get serious. Get serious with this race. Get serious with your relationship with the Father. Get serious about the opportunities we are given because of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. “Get down on your knees before your master because it is the only way you’ll get on your feet” James 4:10 ~ The Message.
Romans 8:14-17 – party time!! You’ve already walked through drinking the nasty cup it’s gonna be hard but good always. Life with Jesus: the best thing you can do is give a decent burial and move on with your NEW life. Bury it, Jesus died for that.
Giving a decent burial to my life before the race. To high school, bury it, it’s not there anymore. Or even the last three months. Cambodia as a whole, bury it, forget it and move on. The victory has already been won. We’re going to Ethiopia now, don’t hold onto that past, let it go, give it to God, let him use you, let him give you freedom.
Don’t sit in it, press into the emotions. Let yourself feel because what you feel is VALID but then move on.
God’s Spirit touches our spirit and confirms who we are. He’s inviting us to lay back with him and drink the cup. He’s holding our hands as we say Papa what is next? It’s a promise from God that he will walk with us in the hard and good times.
We can’t look at the Bible, we must look at God. Get in the presence of God because you will never learn from people like you will with the Father. Go sit with the creator, not with the Bible or anything else. Until you choose God you won’t be able to bury what you need.
If you ask God, He will show you!!!!
*Majority of what is above is from Corbyn Biles, she’s amazing, go read her blogs and see where God is taking her as she drinks the cup of his Will!*
This teaching changed my perspective on how I view my future. How I see every day, every moment. Learning how to drink the cup the Father has prepared for me. Trusting from my view that the end result of that drink will be better than anything I could ever imagine.
Looking back to high school, there was a lot of sad moments but that sour cup of high school lead me here, to the ultimate promise that the Father makes all things good.
FUNDRAISER UPDATE: ADOPT A MONTH!
SEPTEMBER (TAKEN!!! YAYAYA!!!!!)
OCTOBER (TAKEN!!!!! WAAHOOOOOO)
NOVEMBER (TAKENNNNNN!!!)
DECEMBER (taken!!! Whoop whoop!!)
JANUARY (needed!)
FEBRUARY (needed!)
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE (may or may not be needed, depends what day I get home)
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Ways YOU can Join me on my Spiritual Journey:
1. Pray. I will need a multitude of prayers ranging from strength, wisdom, clarity, love, joy… The list goes on. Whatever your heart desires and feels right, pray. Here in Ethiopia we have a little boy at the orphanage who’s legs don’t work, pray healing over his body please!
- SPREAD THE WORD! Tell everyone about my trip and show them my blog.
- SUBSCRIBE! When you subscribe you will get all notifications when I post on my blog about my trip and any updates!
- If you would like to donate to me still, please donate directly to me and not World Race. I AM FULLY FUNDED but I could always use money to cover vaccinations costs and so on! I do have squad mates who aren’t fully funded, if you feel lead please donate to them and keep them on the field!!!!
Thank you and God bless you all!
