My team has been so blessed with our housing and ministry this month. God has spoiled us and showed up in so many ways. As a team, we decided to create a church within the walls of our compound. Each Sunday, a different team member will be in charge of selecting worship music and finding a sermon for us to listen to. I’ve listened to the song Oceans an irritating amount of times, but I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to add that to our worship playlist this particular Sunday. This morning it took on a crazy new meaning. As soon as the first few chords played, I saw myself standing on the beach of Booti Booti national park in Australia, a place I returned to alone with God– the place I realized I fell in love with him again.
Then I was taken back to time two months before that experience in Australia. I was in the last few weeks of college and my demons were so strong and so powerful and I gave them so much control. I remember I couldn’t sleep, was beyond weak, and so dehydrated. I crawled to my car in the drive way to grab my water bottle at 4am, took small sips, and laid on the floor next to my car because I wasn’t strong enough to lift myself up, close the door, or go back inside. A few hours later, my roommate found me laying in the mist of a gloomy morning. She knew my demons and tried to talk me through it. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move. She grabbed me and brought me back to bed. I don’t remember the rest of the day. I just remember pain. The pain of feeling like God couldn’t save me from suffering. Like he couldn’t see me even when I was lying on the concrete asking for a miracle. Little did I know, he was there lying next to me, brushing my hair through the day, wiping away my tears, and nourishing my body with water. I would never expect that in just two short months I would fall in love with Jesus again.
So here’s what happened in Australia at Booti Booti. My class had returned back to the states, and at this point I was doing life on my own, traveling hundreds of miles to get back to Sydney to make my flight. The Lord showed up in crazy ways! Whether it was running into my professor at a random location, getting discounts because of that professor, someone paying for my gas when money was not an option, and magically being able to drive a stick shift (for the first time) on the other side of the road. My last night I had to spend alone was going to be in Booti Booti. I had a ten hour drive from where I was to the campground at Booti Booti and the entire time I prayed to arrive before the early Australian sunset. And somehow I did. I parked my little Jucy in the campgrounds and ran (stumbled) to the beach. I walked and talked with God and then he stopped me. “Look up”. And when I did, I saw my feet perfectly imprinted in the sand of my last Australian sunset. I fell to my knees. The love of my Father that was dying to get to me, knock me over like a flood. I finally took down those walls. I opened the door, and he came pouring into my soul.
God shows up. God has showed up in so many ways this week for my team. We’ve met other missionaries. We’ve met people that have helped us, for no reason at all, get on a bus after hours of waiting. We’ve had french fries and soda given to us after talking about hunger and cravings. We’ve had English speakers offer to take us home after not knowing how to get back home once the sunset.
God is so good. Open that door. Tear down those walls and he will come pouring into your life.
My feet may fail. My feet will fail. My feet have failed. Call upon His name.
