Serve God. Serve Others. Love Both.
August 10th, 2022
“The hardest thing I have ever done, but one of the greatest experiences I was fortunate enough to have.”
This is how I explained my experience running mission trips in 2019.
I said this with a heart happy I said yes to God and done the thing, but with a soul tired from the craziness of the summer. It was great, but I didn’t plan on doing it again — God had other plans.
In the fall of 2021, my senior year of college finally arrived. Like other students, I was tired. Tired of COVID, tired of uncertainty, tired of school. No ounce of motivation to finish strong existed in my body.
Luckily, an opportunity for the perfect job, the one I had dreamed about, was placed in front of me. It was perfect. I could envision reaching my goals right then and there.
This was exactly what I needed to get through the year.
The year continued, and I went through the motions of student teaching. I was not truly focused as I went through all the rounds of interviews for my “dream” job. The final interview came during the final week of student teaching and I was ready.
I did the interview, ate celebratory Mexican food, and waited for a call to come in the next two days.
It never came.
I wasn’t angry, I was confused. I thought this was what God wanted for me and it had fallen through.
What was I supposed to do now? Graduation was in one month and I had no plans. Little did I know, God had His own plan.
“What do I do now,” I cried to a mentor. She prayed God would reveal this to me and soon.
Friends. Less than one hour after she prayed over me, I got an email from that same organization I did mission trips for in 2019 asking if I would come back for another summer.
I knew this was a God thing and I had to say yes.
“God knew what He was doing from the very beginning.”
God knew what his plan was for my life when he called me to serve in 2019. He has been committed to my development, nurturing my soul to prepare me to further my work for His kingdom today.
The summer of ‘22 was a challenge — full of highs and lows. But God remained unchanged. He consistently reminded me why he called me to serve and how He was using me to spread His love.
God reminded me He listens when we cry out to Him and He provides as we fall short.
Through everything, God worked through me to love him, love others and serve both.
I do not know what is coming next. There is no master plan, outline or good answer to tell people who ask me.
I mean it when I say I didn’t go to church one Sunday because I didn’t want to answer this question (your girl is still working on some THINGS). But I know God is going to guide me in the right direction.
All summer of ‘22, youth leaders would come up to me to tell me they had been praying for me and what I would do next. They would tell me they could see me as a pastor, missionary, proclaimer of Jesus in the mountains and so much more.
I don’t know which of these ways God is leading me, but I know He’s telling me he’s got this. There are options, and I am trusting Him in this next chapter.
“But the LORD’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.”
