“First run in Jamaica!” This thought pressed through my head as my running buddies and
I stepped out of our gate onto the busy mountain highway. Little did I know this run
would entail an awakening message. I was so excited to see what running would look like
in Jamaica and I was finally getting to see it. We crossed the river away from the road
and quickly found ourselves on jungle paths that occasionally had a house tucked up into it.
We didn’t know the territory but soon found that we didn’t need to know. As our distance
increased we found that our crossroads did as well. As hesitation and confusion
attempted to take over, a head would pop out in a distant house telling us the direction to
go. We quickly took to instruction as we did not know the territory we trafficked. At one
point we started to speed up as the trail dipped down into a slick, rocky path. As this
occurred an un-rushed voice behind a fence-like-structure spoke
“t-a-k-e y-o-u-r t-i-m-e m-a-n”.
I quickly adapted my cadence as I slipped down a rock.
After several turns we ended up down by a river, as we started to ponder whether we
should attempt to retrace our steps a voice shouted down to us from the road that was
atop the adjacent river bank. We quickly realized that this voice belonged to a lady we
had met the previous day. She told us the direction of our home and sent her little boy
down to us. The boy guided us to cross the river and we went up the riverbank to the
road. When we reached her she insisted on taking us back to our “missionary house”. But
before we embarked she handed us each a banana.•••Now to you, this may sound a little
weird or of a coincidence BUT the thing was, the day before we all had prayed for free
food because our budget wasn’t allowing us to buy much food. So we all looked at each
other and whispered “free food” and exchanged a smile with Jesus.•••
As I took the final step off the road and into our gate, I couldn’t help but rejoice in how
God had literally guided our every step of the run. From every head that popped off
guidance, to the free bananas at the end. And for some reason I couldn’t get the phrase
that man had spoken to us out of my head: “t-a-k-e y-o-u-r t-i-m-e m-a-n”.
As I processed this with God, He shared with me that: the trail is exciting but not to run
and fall and turn something that is so sweet into something bitter. Eagerly pursue Jesus
in all you do but be ready to rest.
Since then, I have had a week of ministry in Jamaica. And I am learning what it looks like
to “take your time”. For ministry we walk around on dirt roads to houses in local
communities and simply tell them we are missionaries from the states spreading the love
of Jesus. With this, most of them invite us to come and sit on their porches and talk with
them. Sometimes we are there for 5 minutes and others for 45 minutes. We don’t always
think we know what to say but the cool thing is God speaks just what they need to hear
in that moment. We aren’t there to judge them, we aren’t there with an agenda other
than to love and encourage them like Christ Jesus did when He walked this earth. And
sometimes we run into a fellow brother or sister in Christ and are able to spur one
another on by sharing what God is doing in each of our lives. All this to say, life takes
time and sometimes we must embrace the uncontrollable and take a PAUSE to allow our
ears to hear what God is saying to us and those around us.
So each day, I have been reminding myself to “take my time”. Take my time when talking
with the one person right in front of me. Take my time in pursuing Jesus and allow Him to
guide me. Take my time in enjoying the food in front of me (allowing myself to have a
thankful heart). Take my time when reading. Take my time when staring off into the
endless jungle. Take my time to just REST in His presence. Take my time when “I don’t
have time”.
With complete sincerity, thank you for taking your time to read this. Thank you for taking
a pause out of your day to walk in my world. I pray that you are encouraged to either
start or to keep pursuing Jesus in all you do.
Live loved,
Micaela
