So here I sit.
Home –
something that came whether I was ready for it or not.
hot showers, a comfy bed, air conditioning, family, friends
I didn't do anything to deserve this. There is no reason for me to have these things. God has blessed me, and my attitude of entitlement and selfishness has been illuminated into an attitude of thankfulness. There is so much to thank God for every moment of every day!
This is my last blog. Our trip is over, and I wouldn't have changed the last nine months one bit. God taught me how to trust Him completely, how to revel in the beauty of His creation, how to love like He loves, and how to rest in the peace that only He can give. The experiences I had seem almost unreal now- a memory, a photo, a journal entry. However, they actually happened. The greatness of our God working in my life is now a beautiful, yet messy, testimony for me to share.
I am saying yes to what God has planned for me next. I am saying yes to His call on my life for the rest of my life. I am saying yes to a life of adventure, exploration, beauty, and hardship. All the while, He will be holding my hand. He is always holding our hands. Each step that we take, He is with us.
It's hard to sum up and bring closure to this chapter of my life, and it has been easy to slip into a mindset of anxiety. However, my mom put these verses on my bed this morning, and so I will share. Since no other words or photos or anything can really explain this "trip".
Philippians 4:4-9 (The Message)
"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
Don't fret of worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious- the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."
The awesome thing about this, too, is that when I was baptized in my pool the day before I left in September, the person who baptized me gave me a prophetic verse that Jesus had placed on her heart to speak over my life on the mission field.
Friends, guess what she said? Philippians 4.
So here I sit.
Home –
something that came whether I was ready for it or not.
hot showers, a comfy bed, air conditioning, family, friends
Full circle.
