A Royal Servant, awakens…

What is a Royal Servant anyway..? I mean who ever heard of such a thing? To think that somehow you could combine Royalty [‘(a.) Kingly; pertaining to the crown or the sovereign; suitable
for a king or queen; regal; as, royal power or prerogative; royal
domains; the royal family; royal state.’]  with a Servant [(n.) a person who labors or exerts himself for the benefit of another, his master or employer; a subordinate helper.’] was beyond personal comprehension, until I encountered the hay fields of Lewiston, IL this summer. 

 

Follow me…

My summer began seeking the face of God away from the comfortable church pews, smiling tanned Florida faces and 65 degree cool indoor temperature of an air conditioned sanctuary. Not that I couldn’t find God anywhere because He is everywhere. But I chose to seek His face in an alternative place and be obedient to God’s call to serve once again in  the mission fields. I ended up  in 95+ degree hay field under an open-air tent in the middle of Lewiston, IL. Frankly, I was more comfortable in “my” seat at “my” church in “my” neck of the woods, but God stretched me yet again this summer and brought me to a place of learning what a Royal Servant really is. Demanding more of me than I ever bargained for, God challenged me to grow beyond my fears and expectations of what He’s is capable of only to bring me back to a place where I had to pick up the pieces of my life that I had walked away from just 1 year earlier. I found God in places that I never considered and learned more than I ever thought I would about myself, my God and my purpose in Him. Over the summer I traded in the comfort of a wooden pew for a backless strapped cloth chair. The dim cool spaces of my church sanctuary would no longer be my place of worship, but rather a covered 150ft x 150ft open-air tent in scorching heat. And last but defintely not least I traded the saftey of my own expectations and outcomes for a life fully supported and directed by God. And where did that lead me…

 

I had to lose what I could not keep…

I was praying towards the end of our training camp that God would provide direction and show me that I am serving His purpose. Although I was there and had gone through alot of emotional, spiritual and physical battles it was still unclear if I was supposed to be there and what I was supposed to be doing. I know ..I know..it states clearly in the manual that a Staff Discipler is someone who is willing to poor into the lives of others for a summer. But I wasn’t sure I was equipped to do such a thing. I didn’t know how to open up fully due to some past pain I had and healing that needed to happen in my life so that I can fully let go. Little did I know..that’s exaclty what God had planned. A young man by the name of Louie Inks sat me down and told me some stories that changed his life and mine. We share the common reality of losing a loved one and in that moment I belived that God understood my pain. He brought me to the hay fields to show me the heart of another who also understands loss and what the life is like without someone you love. Louie also encouraged me to continue to fight and stand firm in what I belive. Knowing that God is always for me and will never forsake me. Thank you Louie…

 

I’m Available…

The past couple months, although a blur, were filled with “ah ha” moments. Moments that will forever be written on my heart as the moments I found myself waiting on God to reveal Himself to me. Moments when a mother begged for a prayer to recieve Christ in her heart and the heart of her children. Moments where a gang member changed his mind about what this world had to offer and recieved prayer for deliverance into the next life and guidance from God in this life. Moments where a boy became a man all too fast and was faced with the responsibilty of defending himself and his family from the harsh reality this world had to present and somehow God provided Royal Servants to speak life into his dead soul. And it was during these moments, and many others, that I found God using me and those around me in ways I’ve only read about. He was waiting for us all. When you seek me with all your heart you will find me and I will show you your purpose in me. When I couldn’t say another word and realized that this moment had nothing to do with me or my ability, but rather my availability and the chance that I showed up for someone who just needed to know that God is real and can see that in another human being was the moment I had been waiting for. This is just a small summary of the amazing summer experiences I encountered while serving with some of the most amazing leaders I’ve ever met.

 

God brought me back…

 Although I was excited about the opportunity to serve, I had my challenges with Costa Rica. Particularly because of the last time I was in Costa Rica, I did not have a favorable turnout at the time. Nonetheless, God brought me back a year later, to the day, to heal from my pain and loss and to show what it is not only to love, but to be loved as He loves. This was assured to be one of the most painful experience emotionally I have had to endure yet – and it was. I went through this trip with a gaurded gate around my heart and a 24 hour survelance camera watching all passers by, afraid of what might come if I needed to open up. But it wasn’t until I fully submitted to God’s will for my life that the walls came tumbling down and others were able to see me for who I really am in Christ.  My life changed and the perspective I had on who God’s called me to be became a reality. I realized God had more instore for me and my heart and this was just the beginning.

 

Submission in Love…

I found out true love does not happen without full and true submission in Him. This is much deeper than even I can understand, but I willingly embrace submission. In today’s culture the word “submission” may be undesirable. But when you find someone who is willing to love you more than you love yourself and wants the best for you and is willing to lay down their life for you that is when you have found love. And that is the kind of love I am willing to submit to. That is the love that I pray someday lives in my soul.

 

I want to thank the Royal Servants organization and the amazing team God put together which taught me so much about not only being a leader, but being led by the spirit and dying to self as a continual practice of our daily walk with Christ. Special Thanks to (Lexey, Mark, Brian, Beth, Deon, Steve, Danielle, Mandi, Alex, Larissa, Katelyn, Maria, Dez, Christian, Jonathan, Amanda, Jared, Chuck) for the opportunity to serve with you in the mission field and allowing me the privledge to learn from you all. And a special Thanks to all of my supporters who believed in me more than I believed in myself.

 

In Him

 

 

III (Capenter In Training)