Most times people would rather take the easy route. It’s understandable. We like to simplify things and make it easier to do, but God is anything but simply. He has to spell everything out for humans, who can explain how the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are 3-n-1? I’ll let you think on that. The instructions God gives us as Christians sound easy and simple, but they become much harder when you try to follow them. In Matthew 22:39, the Bible reads “The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Sounds very simple and yet it is one of the hardest things to do.
I began this World Race journey knowing that this would invoke lots of fundraising and a lot of money that needed to be raised. I’ve never been the best at fundraising. Most of the time in elementary school, I would get my mom to take the fundraiser to work with her, so she could ask people about wanting to buy something instead of me. I don’t like rejection and I know most people don’t. So when I took on this task of fundraising, I thought I would be so much better at it because I believe in what I am doing, but I’ve still allowed my fear of rejection to get in the way. Fundraiaing looked to be an impossible road.
I was told that one of the many raisings why we fundraise is because in the fundraising is where we have to fully rely on God. My mom always says that “He owns cattle on a thousands hills.” $17,000 is nothing for God to make happen. God could snap and it would be in His hands, but it’s hard to trust in this because we are taught to do it ourselves. It doesn’t work like that with God. He wants us to ask Him for what we need and want and trust in Him to provide.
I had a moment where I forgot that God knows my thoughts before I have them. I had spoken with a friend about seeing if her church wanted to help fund my trip. My friend was very excited about it and when her mom spoke with their church pastor, it looked like it was all going to work out. Everything was working out and I started thinking “Look at all I’m doing.” I can see God shaking his head at me. First mistake. A few days later I received news that it had not worked out for my friend’s church to help fund my trip. I was sad and felt like I had failed. I felt like there was no way I was going to be able to raise the money I needed for this trip. I realized I had made a huge mistake, I had fallen back on my own instincts of self reliance and I stopped relying on God. Second mistake.
I’ve been trying really hard since then to not make the same mistake. God wants my dependence to be on Him and not myself because Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” That right there is all I need to remember when I feel like fundraising and being able to make my deadlines feels like the road to impossible.
