Have you ever wondered what word(s) people would use to describe you?
We make it a point to have team time every evening and a Bible study 3 days a week. This may seem like a lot, but having intentional time together is how we have been able to grow as a team and get to know each other. Team time can be anything from having a deep theological conversation to coloring together. It is simply spending time together in community.
As a part of team time one evening, a teammate did what she called “Special Presentations.” This is where she picks a theme and chooses someone or something that reflects our personality/character. The theme? Disney Princesses! She presented first the princess and described her based on the teammate she was thinking of. I would have never thought I’d get the princess she gave me: Mulan.
Pause for a minute as I fast forward to this past weekend. We went on a church retreat in the mountains in Vidima, 3 hours from where we are staying in Svishtov. What a great time of fellowship and relaxation! The first day there, some of us went down to the river for a few hours. We were climbing on rocks, getting in the water, skipping rocks and simply exploring. I was in my element. Throughout the weekend there was a church service, a couple other sessions with a speaker, and group walks. Our team got to serve by watching the children during the sessions. Usually the moms rotate who is with them, but we were able to give them all a break so they could enjoy this weekend to the fullest. It was so refreshing being there. You can constantly here the rushing of water from the river, the mountains are staring right at you off in the distance, and the air is so fresh. It was chilly at night, but the perfect mixture of warm sunlight and a light breeze during the day.
One afternoon when we were doing our team Bible study, we went on a bit of a tangent talking about gifts and areas we think we are gifted in. We called out the gifts we have started to see in each other. What a time of encouragement and lifting each other up! Coming full circle to Mulan, my wonderful teammate Abbie commented and said, “One of the reasons I gave you Mulan is because you are fearless. You just go for stuff, and that is a gift.” I’d never thought about myself as being fearless before, nonetheless that it could even be a gift. Since then the word ‘fearless’ keeps coming up, and I realize in some ways I am fearless. In other ways, if truth be told, I am not.
The apostle Stephen may easily be one of my favorite Bible characters. His story is only two chapters long in Acts 6-7, but it is a powerful one. He is taken captive after having been told not to tell people about Jesus and is questioned relentlessly. He stands before the counsel and gives a speech re-telling God’s faithfulness from Abraham to Joshua. He basically says to them, “You stubborn people. Why have you not learned from history? Why do you resist what you know to be true?” I have to believe Stephen knew what was coming (his death), and yet he boldly proclaimed the truth. Talk about being fearless, this guy was it
There’s another verse that says Saul (before he became Paul) fearlessly preached in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:27). Fearlessly. Maybe my adventurous/exploring spirit is fearless, but there’s one area I know I am NOT fearless. It is in sharing my faith. There is a café in town we go to frequently. There are two women who recognize us every time we go. One is named Mimi, and she knows English pretty well. God has put her specifically on my heart. I’m not sure why, but when she saw me yesterday after having been gone a couple days, she said she was glad to see me. After that something in me shifted, and it was as if Holy Spirit was telling me this would be a great ministering opportunity. She’s glad to see me. I’m glad to see her. I would love to build something lasting with Mimi. I would love to be FEARLESS in sharing my faith with her. I want her (and others) to see and know about my Jesus.
Pray for me to be fearless. Truly fearless.
From our weekend in the mountains
