Wow, this has been one of the most incredible days of the summer. I look back on this day, and I can see traces of God's glory all over it. It started when I way overslept. We were supposed to be at the ministry center at 6:30 this morning..my roommate came in my room at 6:28 wondering where I was. So I jumped up, threw on my clothes, brushed my teeth and threw water on my face, and out the door I went with untied shoelaces. So no time for quiet time with God! But you know, last night something seemed to tell me that would happen (again!) this morning. So when I woke up, I realized how rediculous it is for me to get frustrated with myself (as I usually do) with not waking up or being awake enough to spend time with the Lord, when there is an entire day to talk to Him. I mean, it is important, it's very important! But I don't need to put God in a box and say He can only use me if I convince myself I've spent enough time in His Word and in prayer every morning, especially when it ends up being almost legalistic. Anyway, that's not the good part..
So I'm with this group this week, Lakeview Baptist Church from Lewisburg, TN (small town, small church, great passion for Christ). And there's this one lady in particular who literally keeps me going through the day when I get so sleepy. Her name is Minnie (yes, like Minnie Mouse), and I tell you she is the craziest thing I've ever met, but she is an absolute blessing. And the entire group is, really! They are all just so fabulous, and I feel like I've made a new family! Which is good, because I go through Lewisburg when traveling to Shelbyville to visit my cousins, so now I have a place to stop in good ol' Lewisburg before getting stopped for a speeding ticket in Cornersville (inside family joke). And this week we're at Mrs. Bibbins house. She is an 84-year old, precious lady who lost her husband 5 years ago. She says she never imagined she'd have to live without him, because they married so young (for 60-something years!!). Her 54-year old daughter lives with her, who has had lots of medical problems, including cancer, and has to sleep with an oxygen machine every night. There are also 2 little 7-year old boys running around all day who just steal my heart! But I feel a very special drawing to this family. The house they live in is built on a hill, and through time the foundation has made the house actually seem like it is built on a hill, because all the floors inside are sloped, as are the walls, and well let's just say there's a lot that needs to be done.
Here's a picture of pulling up the subflooring to fix some joists, as best we could! We did this in a couple of places throughout the house, but other than that we're just going to lay lauan and put in some flooring!
Anyway, so enough about the work. The important stuff..I was talking with one of my missionary partners for the week about missions and being called to the mission field as a career. We were talking about selling everything and going, and he got really excited and told me I needed to talk to this man and woman who are literally selling all they have, house and all, and going to the foreign mission field. I thought it was kind of strange for me to just randomly call them during the middle of the day, but he absolutely insisted, so I did, and I'm glad I did. He (the man) couldn't talk much, but he gave me his home phone number and told me to call and talk to his wife later tonight. So after we got back from AO and from our little run to Wal-Mart (we got off early tonight, and it was wonderful!), I called her, and I kid you not I had chills the entire time we talked. She has no idea how much of a blessing she was to me, a complete sock in the head from God, being like, ok wake up! :) She talked about some experiences she has had on the field and how she knows that the Lord is calling them to go now. I can't share all she said, but it was incredible. It was an absolute clear sign from God, giving me confidence, guidance, and people who know what they're doing (contacts!) that I need to follow Him to whatever crazy place He may lead me in the future. It was so exciting, so I got on my knees and praised God, then I surrendered and said here I am, send me! I can't wait to see where the Lord leads me in the future.
So I couldn't stay on the floor for too long, because I had to go play tennis with my group (I love these people!). I really only expected Minnie and this other precious lady named Tammy (the youth minister's wife) to be there, but several of the group showed up. Travis, the youth minister, and I played a short round (I wooped his tail), then we let other people have their turn. Before we met up though, when we were talking on the phone, deciding what time to meet up, I told them I would tell them in person what it was, but that something very exciting was happening (that would be the phone call). So when they got there, I excitedly explained the conversation. Of course, no one was as excited as I was, but through it, Travis and I ended up talking for at least an hour about missions, martyrs, true faith, the ruts the American church is in, music (he plays guitar and piano, writes music, and even has a recording studio..legit!), and movies. God continues to confirm in my heart His calling, and I could not be happier than to think that He has considered me worthy. What greater thing is there, than to know Christ and to make Him known? That's what we live for, what we were created to do. So then after we played tennis (or they played and we talked), the ladies walked me back to my apartment, and we stood and talked for awhile about everything! I shared with them my struggles, my fears, and my clear calling. Which reminds me..
I don't think I've shared with everyone the story of my specific calling. Maybe I have, but if so I'll share it again, just because it makes me happy :) So for the past semester, I struggled so very much with everything-changing my major, where my life is going, and even whether I believe in this God and this Bible. Crazy as it is, through all the struggle over whether I even believed in God, my heart was always stirred when I heard a sermon or something talking about missions or about the precious poor people who have never heard any news of hope in the world. Though I struggled with whether I believed the Bible, I never quit searching, and God was more than faithful. Looking back, I'm sure it was an absolute time of spiritual warfare, and I didn't even know it; God preparing me for whatever lies ahead, and Satan for sure not liking God's work in me. So anyway, through the semester, the thought of career missions was constantly on my mind, but I was never sure exactly what God wanted me to do. I remember praying specifically, starting right before I came here, about why I was always stirred for this. Many times I was completely taking it by faith that the God I was praying to even existed, because it sure didn't feel like it. But I remember asking God why every time I heard about missions or someone talk about their ministry to the inner-city children, or whatever, my heart was stirred and I wanted to be there. I didn't understand why, if I questioned God so much, I cared anything about the tribes deep in the heart of the African jungle who have never heard the name of Jesus. And it didn't take long for God to respond. He led me to John 1, and a few verses stood out to me. It says, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.." Jesus came to earth and dwelled AMONG us, which means He was on our level, He got down and dirty with us and LIVED with us! And He has called us to do the same with sinners. Then it says "and we have beheld His glory, of the One and Only, sent from the Father full of grace and truth." (FULL of GRACE and TRUTH! Christ has come not to condemn the world, but to fulfill the law in love and to preach the gospel of grace! And we have seen this glory, we have heard the gospel and experienced His healing touch!) But then the very next verse says "And John testifies concerning this." And in that moment, I felt the Lord clearly say, "Come, follow Me in this." And since then, there has been an absolute peace, no doubt, that this was God and His calling.
So anyway, I'm super pumped about what God is doing, and to find out where He is leading me. I will try to let everyone know any updates, but for now, I'm hoping to go back to Mrs. Bibbins's house tomorrow and hang out with them some more.
Just for fun, here are some pictures of some of the things we did today.. :)
We snapped some beans for Mrs. Bibbins. Thanks, mom, for all the years of practice for this day! ;) It was Will's (dude in the black) first time to ever snap beans..he's from Maryland!
My group convinced me to try peanuts in a coke..very interesting! I had never heard of this before. And another thing I had never heard of that I ate on my sandwich at lunch..yellow tomatoes! Mom, you've never shared that experience with me! :)
And also just for your pleasure, here is my favorite picture from our site..it just makes me happy, just because :)
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
Thank You, Lord, for this opportunity.
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