Writing this blog is simply the hardest thing for me. Not because I stink at writing, that much is true, but because I do not even know where to begin to describe the transformation God has done in me in just a few short months. I have began to see with compassionate eyes this majestic world that God created. I have been thrust into the lives of so many people who are suffering, in desperate need of Jesus. I have had the honor to be a part of the growth and development of squad-mates as we all strive toward Christ. All these things, and honestly so much more I can’t even begin to describe, are because of two huge changes in my Spiritual walk.
1: Asking God BIG questions and expecting BIG answers
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2: Believing that God is a Promise Keeper and will respond when we seek Him.
I was very nervous and honestly skeptical about God actually answering my questions. I always knew I could ask Him anything, whatever was on my heart I could give to Him. His response was where I struggled. In my past, I always thought His answers were short, simple, and to the point (Yes, No, or Wait). I did not give any room for God to explain why He answered how He did. I did not have the time or patience to do so, until I decided to sit on questions I asked Him. Not only did this decision show me He had more to say, He blew me out of the water with His plans for me…..(We will get to those plans later). God began to reveal why His timing was important and how He loves me as a dearly beloved son. Every time I would ask a question He would respond as a father would to a child. He praised me for my growth, disciplined me when I needed a kick in the rear, and then began to unfold His answers to me. He showed me direction for my life that I never saw coming. I was ecstatic, but was what I was hearing really from God? Was it Him or just my own selfish desires? Well this is where change number two comes in.
Jesus tells us in Luke 11:9-10, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.“
One thing I know about my God that will always be true is that He is Faithful in all He says. This is why these verses became my rock, my firm ground I stand upon when asking Him these Big questions. He reminded me that when I seek, I will find more than I ever could imagine; when I ask, He will faithfully declare answers to me in His Will; when I knock, He will open doors I could not open by myself. Knowing this truth made doubt run away faster than ever before. I have a new sense of confidence that not only what I am hearing is from God, but that each and every word is a promise from Him to fulfill in my life. This newfound confidence began to pour out into Listening Prayers for my squad-mates. The words that would come were completely from God and the responses from people on my squad were astonishing. I would never have thought anything that I wrote with my own left hand would make such an impact on those around me, all because I let God take control and speak out what He wanted to say. These prayers have not stopped, they flow inside me constantly ready to be presented to those who God wants to. I hear Him as clearly as any superficial noise this world can create. He speaks truth that changes heart and soul. He speaks and the crazy thing is……I HEAR HIM!
I want everyone to hear about the power of praying fervently about your life and believing God will respond. I think the best example is what God has began in my own life since the race started. If you knew me before the race, I did not want anything to do with children. I had no desire to work with them, I only wanted to work with youth and older kids. That is where I believed my passions were, but boy was I ever wrong, and thankful for that. God has been changing that heart and I am a completely different man because of it.
One day, I got bold and asked God this question, “God am I suppose to work with children after the race?” After a resounding “YES” that caught me completely off guard, He began to unravel this intricate plan of how I am going to be starting an orphanage after the race. I will be working with children who are lost, abandoned, and in need of hope. He exclaimed that my energy resonates with children perfectly. My first response was, “God you are crazy,” but after sitting on it He began to reveal more. He declared it will be in a foreign country and that the children will become mighty men and women of God whom I will be taking care of. I was in awe. The thing I did not want anything to do with is exactly what He wants me to do. It only reminds me of God using the least likely people to do things for His Glory and Renown. He wants me to watch over His children here on earth, a task that He said He only gives to those He trusts fully.
So in short, I am starting an orphanage somewhere, for His Glory. I do not know anything of the timeframe or even how to start an orphanage, but I trust He will guide me in the next steps in this story that is a masterpiece in the making. I know many people may think I am crazy, to them I say jump on the train and start trusting God with big things, where faith has to be the essence of every step taken. To those who want to start hearing from God more about their lives and what God has for them, do this: Start asking big questions, and start believing that those who ask, seek, and knock will be answered by the one true and living God.
Amen
