I remember just a few months ago I was frustrated with where I was in life. I was wanting more. I have always been a dreamer and when I dream, I dream BIG. I had it set in my heart to make a difference and to partner with God to change the world! To be honest I never thought I would graduate Bethel School of Ministry and move across the United States to become a part time bartender just to make ends meet. I wanted to be holding conferences, seeing people healed and saved, and changing the world! Although God was using me where I was, I wanted more and I felt like I was stuck. As I drove to work one day, I was listening to a Jake Hamilton song in my car while singing the words to the top of my lungs. The words went: "Here I am... Lord send me. I'm ready and willing God.... here I am...Lord send me". I had sung this song so many times before but this time it was more than a declaration, it was the cry of my heart. I would have never dreamed that less than a month later my entire life would be flipped upside down and I would be preparing to move to another country.
When we tell someone we are moving one of the most frequently asked questions is: "Why?". People are dumbfounded that in a month we could be ready to sell everything and move to a country most people have never heard of. So here is the answer you have all been waiting for... here is why we said yes.
First of all, and most importantly, we felt a strong call of the Lord for us to go and visit Cambodia. This alone is enough reason to do anything! When we say yes to Him we are saying yes to His plan for our lives, no matter where that takes us.
Four months ago I had not even heard the word Cambodia more than three or four times in my life and I knew absolutely nothing about the country. In October God began opening up doors for us to go on a two week trip to visit Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. You know it's God when everything works out so well you couldn't have planned it better yourself! There seemed to be a "parting of the red sea" to make a way for us to go on this trip. Money came in from friends we hadn't seen in years, we were able to buy plane tickets for half the cost of a normal ticket, and people from everywhere were coming up and sharing how they felt God was about to turn a page in our lives.
We quit both of our jobs and spent most of our savings to embark on this journey. It was a crazy season of faith and testing. We were holding on to the promises of the Lord and hoped we hadn't totally lost our minds!
I think that God gives you a supernatural grace in seasons of faith and transition. I was so excited for what He was doing in our lives I didn't even process what was happening! It wasn't until I boarded the plane in New York that I thought "Oh.... my.... gosh... What are we doing!" of course by then it was too late.
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| Our 17 hour international flight from NYC to Taipei Taiwan. |
Often I hear people say things like "I could never do what you guys did." Im not sharing this to make us look like we are some kind of super heroes because we are not. We are just ordinary people, leading ordinary lives. There is one thing that sets us apart, and every believer has the ability to obtain it. We have completely dedicated our lives to Him, and we have committed ourselves to following His lead wherever it may take us (no matter how crazy our friends and family think we are)! Ward and I have established in our hearts that His plan is always better than our plan, and no matter what it looks like we will follow His voice. We've tried living our way, we've tried preparing our own path. When it comes down to it, nothing compares to the peace of knowing that you're in His perfect will for your life, and that is why we said yes.
Just because you know you are following His voice doesn't mean it's always easy. Like I mentioned above, that moment for me on the plane was sheer, absolute, panic. I literally had to fight from running off the plane! I suddenly became painfully aware of every choice we had made over the last few weeks. Quitting our jobs, spending our savings, giving away family pets... We had burned every bridge that we had! There was nothing to come home to, no turning back. But I sat there and told myself "No, I will follow the Lord. If He has called us to go, I will go." I want to share that because often times when we follow the Lord, it does seem crazy, and you really do have to take every thought captive and choose not to listen to your flesh. Even though it may look like someone walking in faith has it all together on the outside, know that everyday they have to purposely choose to listen to the voice of God instead of the voice of reason. That's why it's called faith!
Faith is defined as:
Wikipedia-
-Faith is confidence or trust. It can also be belief that is not based on proof.
Webster's-
-allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty
-belief and trust in and loyalty to God
-belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
-belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
-firm belief in something for which there is no proof complete trust
-something that is believed especially with strong conviction without question
We use the word faith a lot, it's a small word that truly has the power to change our lives. If we really lived by faith (true allegiance to God, firmly trusting Him with no question even when there is no proof) we would be an unstoppable people that can change the world!
My prayer for you today (and I hope you will pray for us as well) is that we would be able to walk in true faith in every area that God has called us. I pray that we would be able to walk out our God given destiny no matter what it looks like, or what others think. That we would be ready and willing to follow Him without question wherever He leads us. That He would give us the grace and the strength to listen to His voice above our own, and that we would have the faith to say yes.
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