So much of this journey is perceived as just a regular missions trip, just a liitttttleeee bit longer. So many people have messaged me, “How’s your trip?” and while that’s a completely valid question, I realize that maybe I haven’t painted the full picture of what this year is. Because while I am sharing the gospel and loving all da babies like any old missions trip (and that’s awesome!), I’m also being WRECKED by the Lord. I am being broken and rebuilt, poured out and filled up, ruined and created. These last six months have been as much about discipleship as they have been about missions. Jesus was working on the disciples hearts and their character as they were alongside of Him performing miracles. I am honored, and thankful, that I have the opportunity to learn and grow under the leadership above me as well as the community I have the honor of doing life with.
Each month, the Lord has had a lesson(s) for me to learn and carry on into the next. Sometimes, they were beautiful (really, all times but) sometimes they were really stinking hard. But always good! So much like God.
In Month 1: I learned that the Lord talks to His children. When I accepted Jesus into my life, I took on a new identity. Melissa was no longer the things this world identified her as. Melissa is a daughter of the King of Kings.
In Month 2: I learned that things that hurt have to die. I had to bring things to the light that I’ve never spoken aloud because things hidden in the dark breed shame and guilt. I started to learn that the Melissa that the Lord created me to be is not the same as the Melissa I was putting out into the world.
In Month 3: I learned that I will always be hangry when I’m not taking in my daily bread. I am not equipped to walk this life alone and as long as I’m not taking my daily fill of Jesus, I’m going to fall short. This is the month that I realized that the Melissa that God is shaping me to be is more than enough. In that, I can walk faithfully forward with the Holy Spirit as my guide. I began telling myself that I would run this race, run it well, and not worry about a dang thing more!
In Month 4: The Lord gave me a vision of a garden during Month 4. He showed me a beautiful garden with some of my favorite flowers and plants. Those flowers and plants represented my relationships with my teammates, my perspective of my WR experience, my overall heart health.. He showed me the weeds that grew alongside of the things that were important. And while I fed my garden, taking care of my relationships and my heart, I wasn’t taking care of the weeds (lies, deception, shame all real sweet gifts the enemy was trying to throw my way) so my favorite things started to wither away. You can’t feed the junk that’s killing you. You can’t give the thoughts that don’t belong the time of day.
In Month 5: I learned that the Lord wastes nothing. Still speaking to me through the vision of the garden, I asked the Lord why a specific event happened. I couldn’t rationalize what was happening or why and the Lord told me that He uses it all. Like compost, even the ugliest bits play a vital role in the health of the garden. So let your junk become your fertilizer. Take what you’ve learned, seen, done, said and use it to become better. (WOW God. You cool!)
My favorite thing about all of these lessons and all of the growth is that it doesn’t stop here. Even when I have reached Month 11 and my feet touch American soil for however long it may be, the Lord isn’t done. He’s just getting started. The life as a follower of Jesus isn’t a sprint, it’s a long distance marathon. In that, the things my Father is teaching me don’t end with each mile marker or change of seasons, they don’t stop being relevant or relatable. What He is doing in your life today may be like compost. Maybe you don’t see it yet, but it’s going to play a vital role- just you wait.
So friends, instead of asking me about my “trip”, next time ask me about what God is teaching me right now. I guarantee it will be a lot better of a story.
