I have BIG NEWS!
As a beloved daughter of the King I can speak of all the ways he so intentionally love, cares, and provides for his children. Over the last few years, specifically, God has replaced my mediocre life with one of abundance, but not without sacrifices. I have learned and accepted that it’s totally normal to do life out of order, to go against cultural norms– walking in God’s will is superior to absolutely anything the world offers.
When we put our faith in Christ, God commits himself to protect, provide, and care for us. When we lay down our life to follow Jesus, our life is no longer our own– we give up the rights of our earthly lives to gain abundantly more as His sons and daughters. The rights that come with that pristine title are freely given to us, a gift of being a beloved child to a good, good Father. God always provides for his children, though often it is not in the way we expect or hope.
It was absolutely taboo in all worldly standards to give up a DI scholarship, take time away from university, and abandon a normal, comfortable life to travel the world and proclaim Jesus, but here I am in a rural village in southern Cambodia sitting in a hammock, looking at the stars, and sweating profusely (might I add), but experiencing the gift of God’s deepest freedom and truest love in such a new, profound way. Never would have guessed my life would look like this, but I am extremely grateful it does. I’d do it a thousand times over.
The challenge I face when things don’t meet my expectations is to choose God’s unchanging character, and to ask for him to give me fresh eyes to see his provision and care even amidst my misunderstanding, and maybe even disappointment. Because God is God, his ways are higher than my ways.
With all of this said, what’s next after the race?
A month after returning to the United States I am packing all of my things back into my little red car, driving 7 hours from home, enrolling into university, but this time I am starting life in a completely new place. Truthfully, this wasn’t my first or second or even third choice. Ideally, I planned on returning to the mission field. Since Colombia my passions for women’s ministry and international missions were confirmed. So, I began pursuing potential avenues for after the race. All were out of good desire and great intentions, and opportunities that would honor the Lord, but they were completely my own plans. Of course, I invited him into those decisions but not before my heart was set. I was wrapped up in my dreams but after months into praying over these opportunities, all of them, but one, seized to exist. Not going to lie, I was slightly (ok, a lot) heartbroken. Remember when I mentioned above about the challenge of asking for fresh eyes..yeah, I asked for them in this moment.
Since then things have changed. I now tell you with great joy (and still a little heartache), that I will be transferring to Auburn University in the fall to finish my degree.
I have prayed over this decision for the last 6 months, and feel confident in the discernment that God has graciously given me. His provision and care for my life is oh so sweet. I may not be going overseas but I still get this incredible opportunity to work with women in an addiction recovery program and transition home (THIS IS MY DREAM). That’s abundance, my dudes. His plans for my life are far greater than even my perfect plan.
Newness has been a norm for the last 9 months and counting. I dig it! So, yeah, I am ecstatic for the newness all Auburn has to offer, but with newness, God call us to leave somewhere else. I am very sad about not returning to my beloved and dearly missed community at Mars Hill church and all the precious friendships formed in Mobile in my 3 years there, but I have confidence they will remain.
This is my BIG NEWS! It’s truly bittersweet; equally bitter, equally sweet.
Thanks for rejoicing (and/or crying) with me to the end of this blog! Love you all! The first of many, “WAR EAGLE!”
