Trust

"Now when Herod was about to bring  him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison." Act 12:6

Trust is a big word and it is used a lot!!! The word Trust is thrown around a lot to the point where trust losses its meaning. When it comes to trusting the heavenly father, it is hard because we base that trust on what people have done to us!

To tell you the truth… most of my life I have had hard time believing that God cared about me. That He would make sure that He had the best interest at heart for me. But somewhere through the heartache, I learn to trust Him! I learn to understand that He has a better plan, a better life, and a better path! God created me to do His will and His plan during His time.

I want to learn to trust God like Peter did in the jail cell. Peter was thrown in a jail cell waiting for his execution… Was he pacing? Was he praying? Was he shouting? Was he asking Why? No He was SLEEPYING… yes SLEEPYING!!! That is trust. He trusted that anyway things happen he would be ok! He slept!! He was not going to worry about it. That is trust… I would be pacing, maybe crying, there would have been some whys thrown up to God.

I looked at Peter’s story and he did not just wake up one day and trust! He was with Jesus for three years before he followed God plan and His timing!!! Of course Peter would be sleeping… he watched Jesus be crucified and then saw Christ walk upon the earth after the stone was rolled away. Peter Felt the Holy Spirit come upon him, and began to proclaim the gospel.

So how do I get to that point where I trust God with everything! You have to go back to the start of my journey. I remember the heartache… the long nights of crying and trying not to hear what God was calling me to do. To be broken and left to do anything but obey God was hard. I would fight His word and His calling, but to finally be able to trust God… I would never be leaving for Africa or I would not be leaving my kids behind. But I trust God… I trust His plan, His timing, and His word. So you do not have to be Peter to trust God, but you can sleep through the storm! I have been asked several times why I am leaving for Africa and my answer to you is this… I trust God… I trust His timing… and I trust His plan…

Packing

Packing... Packing... Packing... Oh how I hate Packing!! You have one suitcase that is your check luggage and you can't go over 50lbs... with a carry-on then a personal item... Go! Turns out my check luggage is 60lbs. I just shake me head and think of other possibilities.

To me this is a hard lesson... it comes down to do you really need it, and what is really important in life. I am thankful that I have a God who makes those decisions for me! He takes people and things out of my life, so that I can focus on His plan. It hurts, but He knows what is best!!! Some times we become so focus on people that we love we don't see the bigger picture.... some times we get hooked on our jobs that we for get who gave it to us!

I know most of you are not moving across the world... but some times we need to rethink our priorities... Is God coming first in your life.... or is that job, love one, or family coming first... Maybe you need to rethink what should be going into the suitcase of your life? 

Worry!!!!

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6: 25-34

When God made it clear that I would be going into missions full-time, the word worry and financial support keep popping up! I knew that I would have to rest solely on God for this, and the kindness of other people. My faith would be put to the test! I made a promise to God when I took the step (it was a leap… who am I kidding) of faith that I would not worry about money. Any missionary will tell you that worrying about money is on top of their list!! Well, I decided to say “God if you want me there, then you have to put together the funding. I will do the leg work, but you will have to turn the hearts to this!” I am sitting back and laugh at this… because to this day… (17 more days until I step out into the field) He has done just that! He gets all the credit!

Because God has done all the work… I am just willing vessel, I thought I brag on HIM! Here are some of the ways He has worked:

1.      I contacted a non-profit about booking my airplane tickets… which I felt God telling me to wait… I was antsy about the wait, and about coming up with that amount of money.. I got an email on Friday in January that the tickets had drop $400 so it be less than $2000 to get the tickets… the hard part was coming up with the money… they gave me until Monday to pay for the tickets. I was about $900 short… I prayed and asked God for wisdom… at 10:00pm on Sunday night… someone donated close to $1000 to my web site… Once again God gets all the credit!!!!

2.      I had a list two pages long of things that needed to be purchase for this trip… once again God step forward…I got a call from Crossroad Missions Thrift Store saying someone just donated a ton of sewing supplies… would I be interested in taking it off their hands… Yes.. Yes I would!! Can you see God smiling about that!

3.      Ok, once I had all the supplies, the issue of getting it overseas was going to be problem… until God soften the heart of twenty people who took the shipping challenge!

4.      I will let you in on a secret… I felt God telling me to take 21 people for the shipping challenge… not understanding why until I shipped one of the boxes… it took two people to ship it! Once again… God got all the credit!!!

5.      Coming up short on a bill for Africa, when my airline called to let me know that they had processes my card wrong and that I would be getting a refund… hum same amount as the bill… God is awesome!!!

Those are just a few things that God has done in the last past year… So here I am, sitting at the end of a long journey about to leave in 17 days and guess what… I am about $2000 short of my goal… Am I worried! Nope not at all… I know that God has a plan and that when I board the plane for Africa… I will have the $2000 or more in the bank account!!

So my question to you is: what are you worrying about? And why do you think God is not big enough to take care of it?

Hope

Hope Can Change Everything

 

Today I was pumping gas at a back road gas station, when I felt the spirit of God wrap His arms around me! I could feel the warmth of Him; the light words of I am thankful for you trusting me. I shook my head and smile to myself… “Yes, Lord I am glad that I trust you.” In 20 days I will be heading on a plane that will take me half way around the world to a place that I have never been to. Trust comes from faith and faith comes from hope. You have to hope that God existed which builds your faith to trust that you can step out and follow Him.  Please take the time to shut off all things that keep you busy and sit back and listen to this song.