Though I became involved in church during my teenage years, I’d like to say that I didn’t come to know the Gospel and have a true relationship with God until my first year of college. As a freshman, I became involved with the college ministry called The Impact Movement and from then on my life was transformed. I saw so many young people’s lives changed and started to understand what it meant to live for Christ. It seemed so joyous, peaceful, and free…I just had to have it! Starting then, I began to seek out opportunities to grow in my faith and find God in a way that I had not experienced Him before.
Check out The Impact Movement’s website: http://impactmovement.org
At one of the Impact retreats, I had my first opportunity to share the Gospel with students on campus. Like most first-timers, it was so scary to me, but from that point on I understood that sharing your faith is not an option but a command that Jesus gave to us all (Matt. 28:19). Our purpose is to serve God and make Him known. My life is wasted if I’m not doing something to advance the kingdom and as God began to call, I decided to answer. From my sophomore year until my senior year, I was a leader on campus and in the summer of my junior year I participated in a mission/internship with Impact at the headquarters in Orlando. During the mission, I was so challenged by my mentor, fellow believers, and the outreach that we did. Part of our service was spent at a local non-profit that served low-income minority children in historic Orlando. Working with these kids opened my eyes to how much of a difference needs to be made and how God wants to use us to make it.
The following fall (my senior year) I was trying to decide between a fellowship with Impact (life as a missionary) and a 2-year commitment to Teach for America. TFA gave me a deadline of 2 weeks to decide and I foolishly gave God the same amount of time to speak to me about what I should do. When I “didn’t hear a no” from God, I decided that He must want me to serve others through teaching. As I near the end of TFA, I look back and wonder if it was truly what God wanted for me? Yet, the question almost seems pointless because He’s called me to missions now in this season of life, and I have no doubt about that.
As I decided what to do post-teaching, I wrestled with the thought of law school and then teaching English abroad, but something was pulling my heart towards mission work. Over the course of 2 months, several events seemed to make it clear: (1) I randomly discovered The World Race online and as I looked at pictures, watched videos, and read blogs, my heart raced because it seemed so perfect for me! (2) At the Impact Conference on New Years Eve God spoke to me and told me that 2013 would be an amazing year if I would just give myself to Him and follow wherever He leads, especially if it’s mission work. (3) I didn’t want to move again without God, so this time I took an entire month to fast and pray and then one day of total fasting to get assurance from God that the World Race was what He wanted for me.
That day, I heard God speak to me and broke down in tears as I felt His love and tenderness in helping me find my purpose. God’s will for me right now is this mission. He wants to use me to do amazing things in the lives of those He loves. He wants to challenge me to love people as the Bible demands and grow me into someone He can trust to be His voice and hands in the world. I want to feel the love of Christ for people and connect with them as He did during His ministry. Never before have I forgotten about myself and catered to the needs of others. I want to spend this year living out this verse:
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ (Matt. 25:35-36)
I am here now because God has a call on my life to not only help people but to serve them with all the gifts He has given me. I know that God will use this year to show me His purpose for me and give me a glimpse of what He wants me to do with the rest of my life. I’m excited for how He will use others and their needs to show me how I can be of use to the kingdom and I can’t wait to bring love to others!
This mission is sure to be nothing short of life-changing.
