I
want to thank you whom have been walking alongside me! You’ve been such big
support on the mission field as well as back “home”. I’ve been deeply
encouraged by the greetings, emails and letters you have been sending. It’s
always refreshing to come back to a foundation that is faithful and ready to
strike up conversation full of testimony and encouragement. This past trip was
a bit wonky in nature, yet as we look at what God did, we can’t deny the
kingdom work that He is doing through His glorious church here at home and
abroad! Amen!
In
the past 2 weeks I’ve struggle to find the words to describe the fast paced change
in my life once again. When your heart bubbles over with joy and love it’s
sometimes hard to describe it. That’s the beautiful work of the Holy Spirit;
indescribable transformation. As I sit here trying to explain what’s happened,
I’m sure the Lord looks down and chuckles to himself lightheartedly. He’s
probably thinking to himself that this kid hasn’t seen anything yet.
Well,
my heart has been stretched to love more, serve more, give more, and most
importantly to BE MORE! With such an epic year as the
World Race was in 2008, it became so real to me that that trip was only a mere
stepping stone in the understanding of my life’s destiny. In short, the World Race
took me on a spiritual wilderness experience through an identity crisis. I gave everything I had to open my heart as wide as I possible
could so the Lord could work. I was a desperate young man on a search or a pilgrimage for
purpose and significance. Every time I would open
myself up I would instantly be at a new level of trust in people, level of
faith in Christ, and a new level of humility in my own personality. What I mean is that the
more I put myself out there, sincerely put myself out there, the more
revelation I received that this world does not revolve around me! People were easier to love when I wasn’t judging them. I was more
confident when I started to let go of the lies that others are better than me. And lastly I let go of my expectation
of what should be happening and tried so earnestly to follow and support the
authority and leadership around me! Only at this point did I see miracles, go
to amazing places geographically, and gain the wisdom we naturally desire to
have of the mysteries of God!
the Lord did on the World Race was evidently life changing and this was only
because I have strived to walk that way every day afterward. I have chosen to let the victories in my life stand as testimony of
God’s work in me. I made a conscious effort to guard my mind and heart from the
lies of “did that really happen?” and “it was just a season, you’re always the
same”. I returned home as a changed man with a new heart of flesh and a renewed
mind. I saw
what the Lord was doing to advance His Kingdom and not just the depression and
sadness of the world. I saw hope and a future…not the
kind I twisted to believe was just for me as in the words of the prophet Jeremiah,
rather the lost children of the one true God; the widow and the orphan, the
drug addict and the prostitute! I felt that I was on top of the world. There was so much I could
do and I was driven to encourage others to join me in this great divine purpose
to reach the far reaches of this world. I was as deep
in wisdom and understanding as I could possibly be. My past was the past and the future
was the glorious unknown full of adventure and victory of the nations.
So,
what the G42 experience was for me was the creator of the universe placing me
in the perfect community for learning the language of true love for others and
opportunity to give until I had nothing left. Everything I learned from the
Race experience was put into practice once again, with a new understanding of
myself, God, and the world. In my heart I was challenged to step into complete
faith that His voice is within me and that I am His voice that this world needs
to hear. And I was physically in a place where I had no hand in planning out or
deciding on my own how it would benefit my ego 
whatsoever. The Lord took a hungry
and humble heart and challenged it to become what it was destined to be. I have
been called out to get over the childlike ‘finger painting exercises’ of this
faith journey and start living as a man of god ought to. This has meant to get
over my shifty, self serving ways and worries I face daily and to not let the
call be interrupted by my insecurities. In Spain, the Lord placed a strong
hedge of authority and accountability around my heart and life. I have seen the
integrity and excellence firsthand that the kingdom requires. I have men who
are models of the man I am to become as well as women around me whom have shown
me what a true woman of God is like. This is the new standard I’ve been called
out to become; the standard to be covenantal, committed, and loyal. To be the
rock which others can not only trust but to rely on!
The
more steps we take forward on the pilgrimage the more we are to become. The
amazing news is that we don’t have to change anything about who we are to go to
amazing levels with God, we just have to refocus our mindset in trusting that
it is who we are, our deep down DNA, that is exactly what god is looking for us
to be! Is who we are the fruit of what we do
or is the fruit of what we do from who we are?! My life
was previously driven from the former and was dead, I was dormant and restless.
I have found life and kingdom advancement from the later; a refocused and
destiny driven passion to become more like the one who created me…Jesus Christ
himself!!
To make sense of this, I’ve awoken to
a new day on the pilgrimage of my life. The old self was left in the memory of
days gone by swallowed in the dusk of yesterday. What steps have been taken
will be remembered, but not relived. The dawn of a new day is upon me as the
sun has begun to arise on this new life. I have been called to wake up from my
slumber of naivety, confusion and silence to stand up with the rays of light
reflecting off of me from His shining light to this world. I am His hands,
feet, and most importantly His voice!
I see the days ahead as bright and
magnificent no matter how difficult the circumstance. I see the Kingdom
advancing as I step forward in confidence with my head held high and not
looking over my shoulder to see who’s coming. I see orphans experiencing love
for the first time as I strive to grasp the Father’s love and give that love
away to others around me. I see the broken and enslaved free from the tyranny
of man and this world as I seek to live my life in chains for the Gospel of
peace. I see the confused and complacent finding His voice and living a life of
praise as I strive to live a life worthy of the calling through integrity,
humility, and excellence! For this is a new day for me, but as most people in
this world see life lived based on the day before, they need to hear the voice
of Jesus and experience his touch. No-one will ever receive these things unless
I, as part of the church, intercede for Him. I’m committing my life to do my
bit, the question is ARE YOU?! Are you
leading a life worthy of your calling?…for you HAVE been called by God!!
(Eph. 4:1)
Thanks
so much for all of you that have made the G42 experience what it was! You know
who you are! I am a changed man with a softer heart and a bolder attitude; all
because of you!
All
those who have walked alongside me on the World Race, you have definitely been
that foundation to bring me to that point of ‘getting over myself’ through your
words of encouragement and revelation as I lived my life alongside yours. Thank
you for opening your hearts to my brokenness!
And
lastly to church family and friends whom I have accumulated over the past 26
years! You guys have showed me how to live, how to grow, and how to seek for
the greater things. You have been my support and my drive to be the man I know
deep down I’m called to be. I love you and you’ll never know how much I
appreciated your role in my life! His Kingdom come!!
