But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. And I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. – Philippians 3:7-8

As you know Malawi was a month where God was teaching me how worthy He is of us giving our everything to Him. The importance of sacrificing my comforts so that I could fully trust in Him and rely on Him more.

It’s when I felt His love like an avalanche.

And it’s when you feel His love this strong that your heart desires to seek more of Him, counting it a joy to give up things for Him.

One day our team and ministry friends were going for a retreat up on a mountain to do worship, fellowship and pray together. As I was hiking, marching a little ways behind a few of the others yet far enough ahead of the rest to be left to my own daydreaming, I started asking
God what I could sacrifice for Him as a symbol of my trust.

Ha God’s a funny guy!

He asked me to give up everything I had with me on the Race except what I could fit in my small school backpack. Say what?! I had so many what ifs and but but buts. It was almost as if He was saying, “Well you asked me. Are you gonna trust me or not?” So I stopped myself and said “OK I’ll do it.” So I did.

I shared with my good friend Sarah what God was asking me to do. Sarah had been feeling similar pulls in months before but wasnt sure exactly what God wanted her to do. She prayed long and hard and the next morning as we were packing up I heard a faint “hey Shannon?” I turned to her and she said “I think God wants me to give up my big pack as well.” She had a little tear run down her cheek and she ended with “God is so good”.

It was cool looking at the huge piles of everything we were freeing ourselves of. It is all going
to victims who were affected by the national flood crisis that happened while we were there in Malawi. Yet really it was the tiniest of sacrifices to make, and the best part about it was that I was simply trading these meaningless things in for something much better, for more of Christ.