First things first, I want to ask prayers for my grandmother, Jeanie Chandler, whose been in the hospital this week with heart problems. I also want to give a shoutout to my new teammate Meg Arahill, who is more fun than we here on Team Unwavering deserve.
I’m a big guy. I’m from West Texas. Add these two statements together and you arrive at this one inescapable fact: I eat meat. I mean it’s not like I NEED meat. I just have to have it to function in everyday life. Unfortunately in South America, T-Bones and Ribeyes aren’t held in as high esteem as they are back home. As a matter of fact, breakfast is often a single biscuit, and lunch and dinner are primarily rice and vegetables. This isn’t the problem. I prepared for smaller portions on the race. For me, the problem in Argentina was that on some days our teams missions included long days of hard manual labor. Some people could hack it, me not so much. I just wasn’t getting the protein I needed.
On one particular day, we were provided three vegetarian meals, and I got to clear brush for several hours. I had a headache, was upset, and was taking out my frustrations on all the wrong people. Then one of my squad mates, a girl named Katie Mathews, walks up to me and says she wants to pray for me; she can see that something’s off. So she prays that protein would prevent itself. I say thanks, and head to bed. As I’m winding down for the night, there’s a knock on the door- another squad mate named Vivi has a chicken sandwich to offer. Then someone from the kitchen has some hamburger meat to offer. I accept this as well. The point is, God provided.
God provides. Now my physical hunger is just an example. We hunger for much more. My boy RJ does this “quiet-time” (which isn’t really quiet at all), where you affirm your identity in Christ. After a talk he gave, I sat listening for the Holy Spirit to reveal to me who I am in Christ for nearly 30 minutes.
Here’s what the Spirit told me:
“I am a miracle. I am the son of a Godly man and a loving woman. I am a loyal brother and friend. I am a good father, and a devoted husband. The Creator of the universe delights in me. I am worthy of God’s love. The fruit I bear will last. I stand strong and upright. I am a warrior who will meet the enemy head-on. I will defeat my demons. I will protect what is good. I will remain faithful to my King and continually strive for His throne. He intercedes on my behalf, and will embrace me when we finally meet face-to-face. I am His man, and His Word is my promise. His angels guard me, and put their arms around me. He will always be enough.”
“I am worthy of God’s love.” John 3:16 confirms this. “His Word is my promise.” Matthew 4:4 says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” That’s the truth about hunger.
I’m about $3,000 short of being fully founded! Donate, subscribe, and continue to pray for my team. We’ve arrived in Bolivia with team Ablaze. We face altitude sickness, cold weather, and once again, very little meat. Haha!
-Matt
