His Plan - Lead Me

 

HI FRIENDS!!

Today has been a GREAT today.  It all happened before noon. God told me something.

{Back Story}

Recently, I have been obsessed with reading World Race blogs. It is a Christian mission organization that enables people to travel the world evangelizing and servicing others.  I have been intrigued by these blogs and amazed by the opportunities these people have experienced.

A few weeks ago, I saw a flyer for a care break trip to Jamaica in a campus building. A few days later a friend of mine was talking about the trip.  I continued to see flyers in various buildings around campus.  I felt like God was telling me something.  I ended up mentioning something to my parents.  They encouraged me to submit an application to just see what would happen.  Knowing they take a small group of people and wondering how many people applied, I had no clue whether or not I would be selected.

A week later, I got an e-mail from one of the student advisors for the trip congratulating me on being selected to participate in the Jamaica Care Break.  Wait..what?!

Yes, I was selected to participate on this trip and volunteer with other students from my university.  I could not believe it.  I have always wanted to experience world mission for myself.  Could this potentially be my first opportunity to do this?

So what do I do?

Do I not go because of money?  Do I not go because it is time that I could be spending with my family? Do I not go because it is a scary world we live in? 

BUT do I go because God wants me to go?  That is the question I needed to answer.

God has put this desire on my heart to explore alternative ways to service him.  I have always enjoyed mission work.  Throughout middle school and high school, I always participated in my youth group's mission trips in the Appalachian Mountains. I loved that time to grow in my faith, fellowship with others, and encourage the lives of people I was serving.  They were some of my favorite summer memories growing up.

I wanted my parents to know that if it wasn't a good time to go, then I would understand.  I wanted their guidance knowing the trip came with an expense.  I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I think God knew how I felt about this trip because my parents said YES.

No way? What? How? Did God really provide me with this adventure of world mission?

God is powerful and mighty! How could I thank him enough for placing this trip in my life?

I believe God will lead me.

{Yesterday}

A friend of mine went on a CRU summer mission this year.  She told me she would be speaking at a local church sometime this semester.  I wanted to support her, so I told her to let me know when it was going to happen.  Yesterday she texted me informing me today was the day. The day she was going to share her testimony about summer mission.  I really wanted to go, but I also wanted to go to my church too. I told her I would definitely be going.  I also decided to go to the 8:20 service at my church as well.  I hadn't been to my church in awhile, and I wanted to go.

{Today}

I think God had a bigger plan for me than I actually realized.

Today Pastor Paul talked about mission. NO WAY? Yep.. he really did!

Our mission is walking with other broken people to experience deeper life in Christ.

Ephesians 4:1-3 says..

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

I feel like God needed me to hear these words this morning.

After a while, I headed to the other church where my friend was giving her testimony.  She did a great job, and I enjoyed hearing about her experiences on summer mission.

As I was reading through their bulletin, I noticed the choir would be singing Pass It On.  If you know me, then you know how special this song is to me.  This song is what my church camp is all about.  We are encouraged to pass "IT" on.  Meaning to spread the gospel and to share camp stories.  It was great to hear the song and reflect on how important it is to always pass it on. 

Pastor Stan started his message. Take a lucky guess on what he was talking about? If you said mission, then you are exactly right. 

God must really want me to hear about mission.

One of the slides said.. We will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

Micah 6:8 says..

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

It is amazing to see how God can use little reminders in our life to tell us that we have a purpose here on Earth.  Right now my purpose is to step out in faith, go to Jamaica, and serve.  I look forward to what this adventure holds for me.

The call to worship song at the first church service was Called Me Higher by All Sons & Daughters.  This song fits my reflection today.

I could just sit

I could just sit and wait for all Your goodness

Hope to feel Your presence

I could just stay right where I am and hope to feel You

Hope to feel something again

And I could hold on

I could hold on to who I am and never let You

Change me from the inside

And I could be safe

I could be safe here in Your arms and never leave home

Never let these walls down

But you have called me higher

You have called me deeper

And I'll go where You will lead me Lord

You have called me higher

You have called me deeper

And I'll go where You lead me Lord

Where You lead

Where You lead me Lord

I believe God has called be higher and deeper.  I believe he has planted this desire in my heart to experience something new and let my walls down. God will lead me where I need to go.

Dear God,

I thank you for today.  I thank you for giving me the signs I needed to take a leap of faith and go on this care break.  I pray that I would use this trip to bring joy to others.  I pray that I would not take this as an opportunity for myself, but as an opportunity to serve you.  I know you will provide the expense for this trip in the right way.  I pray you would continue to let walls down in my life in order to seek you more.  You will lead me where you desire my plan to go.  I pray all these things in your great name. Amen

Called Me Higher by All Sons & Daughters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgAzLKXqcDk