Sunday, April 4, 2010

Inspired...

While I was in high school my church went on a mission trip to Kenya.  I remember the Sunday night when the team shared like it was yesterday.  I remember exactly where I was sitting, what the lighting was like...everything.  I heard story after of story of how God had moved in the lives of the people in Kenya as well as in the lives of the members who went. 

I should have been in awe of the power of our mighty God. 

Instead, I remember having the most overwhelming urge to just put my fingers in my ears.  I remember thinking to myself..."please God, please don't ever call me to that...I will do anything else but please don't call me to be a missionary".

10 years later here I am. 

I have been on my first mission trip.  No longer am I wanting to put my fingers in my ears.  I am not sure that God is calling our family to leave the country but I know now that I am willing, willing to follow Him.  I also know now that I cannot just stand by and act like everything is just peachy when I have seen with my own eyes that there are people who are struggling because of their faith, there are people who are hungry, there are people who have nothing, but still they are coming to Jesus.

I heard a song recently by Brooke Frasier called "Albertine"  it talks about her time in Rwanda and how it changed her life.  One phrase from the song had really grabbed me...

"Now that I have seen I am responsible...faith without deeds is dead."

To be honest I don't know what that looks like.  I am still processing what God has taught me through my time in Mexico and still trying to figure out exactly what He calling me to do because of what I saw there.  But I know that my life cannot stay the same.

God in His amazing sovereignty has been preparing me for this over the past few months.  One thing I have discovered in this blogging world is that there are some amazing stories out there.  Stories of people who have faced unbelievable tragedy but are still writing His praises, there are stories of people who are crossing the seas to rescue to orphaned children, and my most favorite are the stories of people who have decided to give it all up...everything that we Americans think is necessary for survival and to live in total faith.  My favorite is the story of Katie.  She is a young American girl who went on a mission trip to Uganda and God so powerfully moved in her heart that she gave up everything to follow Him...even to Africa.  God has and is continuing to use her blog to speak great truth to me.  Opening my eyes to the reality that there is so much more than this life of mediocrity I have settled for.  I encourage you to visit her blog, read just one of her posts (without putting your fingers in your ears:) and let God work on your heart.

Click here to read Katie's blog.

Through Katie's blog I was lead to this sermon series by David Platt.

http://www.brookhills.org/media/series/radical

Take some time to yourself and listen...my heart is changed because of what I have learned.

Please pray that God will open the eyes of my heart, that I will see exactly what He is calling me to and that I will no longer settle.

2 comments:

BeechemBrightSpots said...

I can't wait to hear your testimonies tonight! I always feel such a tug when I see and hear testimonies about missions...I just don't know when that will be for our family...someday!

Nana's Nuggets said...

Miss Jenna please don't go anywhere,(I know that sounds selfish!!), but you have to stay with us! we have got to hear you sing, and watch those babies grow up!! :)