How have you experienced God?
This is a question that we as racers ask ourselves monthly. The question might be posed as “how have you seen God this month?” or “When have you felt closest to the Lord?,” but the premise is the same; How have you allowed God to reveal Himself to you?
While in Central America, my team was blessed with immaculate landscapes and jaw dropping sunrises and sunsets. I would often take advantage of the sunrises and spend time alone with the Lord, admiring the marvelous colors He painted across the sky and feeling how much He loved me by simply showing me a glimpse of His beauty through those sunrises.
Each time we would leave our ministry sites, my eyes were glued to the glorious landscapes that we passed; the rolling hills, trees lining every road, the lake or ocean in the background, sandy beaches (just to name a few).
During these times of appreciating nature is when I have felt the closest to the Lord the first three months of the Race. I felt like He was showing me just how much thought He put into creating each of these scenes and therefore, how much more He cared to create me, uniquely in His image. I felt free to not only talk to Him, but also to listen to what He had for me. These were sights of feeling safe and His love wrapping around me.
This month my team is in Mukono, Africa. On our drive into the town, I had some moments of worry. It was a much busier town than I had experienced the months before. The streets were always busy, there were no bodies of water to be seen from our ministry site, there was a slight hill/mountain in the distance but it was full of houses and not very serene, and there was this hazy mix of dust and air pollution over it all.
As I began to brainstorm how I would still my time with the Lord and how I would be able to appreciate His beauty and what I could do calm my beating heart, I felt the Lord telling me, “Be still my child. I will show you my love and joy this month. Just be patient and look to me.” You see, it wasn’t about me and what I could do. It was about allowing space for Him to show up and show me something new.
Day 1 of ministry here, that “something new” was so apparent. His love for me would come from those I would be ministering to for the month. The second I saw the smiles on children we were playing with, it was like seeing the true joy of the Lord and Him boldly saying, “Here is My love for you; in the smiles and radiance that is shown through each person you encounter this month.”
Within the first few hours of settling into the ministry site, I could say without hesitation, the presence of God was in this place and He was going to be showing Himself to me left and right. From the smiles and laughter of the children, to the passion of our host, to the joy that exudes from the praise and worship of the woman in the bible study we help lead, He is here and ever present.
It’s hard to believe I only have one more week here and it will be very difficult to leave. We have been welcomed with open arms and truly shown what it is to display the love and joy of the Lord and to do so generously. His love has no limits and He wants to show us just how big he is if we just let Him.
So, my challenge to you is this: Today, no matter the circumstances, how have you experienced God?
Updates and Prayer Requests:
- Please pray against malaria for my team and my squad. We are diligently taking our malaria medication, but we know it is prevalent here and would appreciate prayer.
- Prayer for the town of Mukono. This was once said to be the gate way to Satan; full of darkness and witch craft. While some spiritual darkness still covers this town, our host now sees the pastors and leaders here as the kingdom gate keepers continually ministering to and praying for all those in Mukono. I ask that you join us in that prayer. Praying for guidance, perseverance, and strength for those the Lord wants to use for His Kingdom.
- My last financial deadline is the end of this month. I am about $2,400 from meeting the final amount needed. It’s truly amazing to see how much the Lord has provided and how He has used each of you to get me to this point through prayer and financial support. Please consider partnering with me financially in this journey and sharing my story as you feel led.
Thank you for your joining me each step of the way and being a part of this chapter of my life!
