I received a note in the mail from a dear friend of mine not too long ago that took me by surprise. To be quite honest, my immediate reaction was to get defensive about it. The note was a few paragraphs in length, scrawled on a piece of a ripped out page from a journal – but my eye immediately focused on a single sentence:
“Remember above all else: It’s not about you!”
She continued on to encourage me to be other’s focused – not self-focused – and that whatever happens to me is meant to be a lesson or encouragement for someone else as well. She challenged me to look around and ask God, “Who needs to know about this? Who is this for?”
I took what she had written under a moment’s consideration, folded the note and tucked it away among the other various notes and cards I’ve received from various family members and friends over the last year. I mean – doesn’t she realize God has flipped my entire life upside down? Shouldn’t I be entitled to at least a little time to think about myself and what all of this means in my life? After all, how could I expect others to find encouragement from what’s happening to me if I’m a scatter-brained mess who can’t figure out which way is up?
Wow – that’s a lot of “me’s” and “my’s” and “I’s”.
Fast forward to this afternoon – I’m at a meeting being held after church for a group of people looking to welcome a refugee family through World Relief. There are about 15 of us in the room, listening to a presentation on what the expectations are of us in this commitment as well as what we can expect to happen as we move through the process. It’s time for introductions – we’re to introduce ourselves and provide a short statement on our heart for this type of ministry as well as any cross-cultural experiences we’ve had. It’s my turn early on and I hear myself talking about my Perspectives class (to be discussed in a future blog!), my recent trips to Haiti and the upcoming World Race. I finished up my introduction by mentioning that overall I’m just really excited to have the opportunity to welcome a family because it would be a great experience to have to prepare ME for the World Race.
I’m sad to report that it took approximately another 6 minutes of listening to a number of other people introducing themselves before it hit me – I talked about what was in this for ME. I talked about how the experience would benefit ME. How it would make ME a better missionary. The realization washed over me like continual tidal waves – in that moment, I don’t know if I could have felt any more selfish, self-centered or small. And almost immediately, the note I had received a month prior came back to me:
“Remember above all else: It’s not about you!”
Two thoughts crossed my mind:
- HOW DID SHE KNOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN?!
- EPIC FAIL (insert internal FACE PALM here)
On the way home after the meeting, I started really thinking about what had happened – and I realized that while I had missed an opportunity to live out this counsel and wisdom and practically apply it to my life, I also had learned a VERY important lesson in such a way that would not be quickly forgotten. Not to mention the fact that I had my next blog topic provided for me without even having to stress out over it (Side Note: Blogging doesn’t come naturally to me – I’ve never been one to write in a journal or anything of that nature. So recently, it’s been my prayer that God would help me in this capacity and just speak to me when it came time to blog. Well played, God. Well played.).
Ultimately, I want to finish up with a strangely connected line of thought that occurred to me while I was driving home (seriously, I LOVE how God can take two seemingly unrelated topics and connect them together in such a perfect way as to make my jaw drop in awe!). Recently (as in yesterday), I was reading through Proverbs and one of the overarching themes of the particular chapters I was reading is the concept of being able to accept counsel and discipline.
“Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.”
(Prov 19:20)
“For by wise guidance you will wage war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.”
(Prov 24:6)
When she wrote those words on a ripped out page of her journal a couple months ago, my dear friend couldn’t have known how God would use them to speak to me. She might have hoped, but she didn’t know. All she did was be obedient to the word He was laying upon her heart for me – and put the note in the mail. And by that, I am greatly encouraged. Please pray for me as I continue to learn how to accept counsel and how to be “others focused”.
It is my hope and desire to create a dedicated prayer team (10-15 people) who will commit to praying for me daily during this journey (both as I prepare and while I am gone). I welcome all of my friends, family and donors to pray for me as well as for the countries I will be visiting and that God would open hearts and doors while we are working with our various ministries. But if you feel that God has laid it upon your heart to pray more specifically, please let me know either via Facebook message, email or through “Contact Me” on the left hand side of this page.
I am overwhelmed by the amount of support and prayers I have received thus far in the process! I pray that God would bless you abundantly for your kind gifts and words.
For His glory,
Natalie
