Oh, where do I begin?? I want to apologize if this is the first you have heard about this or I have not been able to talk to you about this in person. Please don’t take it personal; I’ve had a full plate for the past few months. Secondly, I’m not the best at being organized with what I write. So, I also apologize if I seem somewhat scattered. And lastly, I’m going to be as real and genuine with you as possible.
Before you read what I am about to say, I would recommend that you read my ‘about me’ to get a little background info. I went on many mission trips when I was younger and I have always been blessed by and enjoyed them. The later part of my senior year in high school I was at that point in my life when it’s time to start figuring out what I want to do with my life. I prayed about where I was supposed to go to school. It wasn’t until July of 2008 that I found out I would be starting at MTSU that September. I can’t recall exactly when I first felt God trying to nudge me, but it was sometime in my first year of college that I felt God calling me to missions. Many times, for various reasons, I ignored it.
August 3, 2010 I had been at a meeting and arrived at The Orchard (http://www.theorchardministry.com/) late. A group of us were going to Anderson, IN later that week to help a church and we were going to have a meeting to get our ducks in a row for the trip after the Orchard. Brother Ken was preaching on ‘Calling’ that night. At first I was not focused at the least bit on what he was saying. As he was talking I heard what he said, but nothing was registering…until he said (I’ll never forget this) ‘Why do you think Jonah was having problems?? He was running from God!’ At this point the Holy Spirit grabbed my heart and attention. I started thinking about everything that had been going on in my life. I had been sick over a long period of time, I was rear ended and my car was totaled, I had gotten almost to the point of depression and all of this resulted in me not having appetite which caused me to lose a lot of weight in a few months. All of this came to my mind when I heard Brother Ken talking about Jonah and at that same time I was reminded of the times before when God had been pulling my heartstrings for missions. When the time came for the invitation I was feeling so convicted I couldn’t stand it. Even in that conviction I tried to avoid answering God’s call. Mid-song I broke down, grabbed the hand of an adult leader (that I love dearly and look up to) and went to pray. After we prayed she asked me “What do you think was holding you back from answering this call?” My response “Finances. I’m a broke college student. Also, not knowing what’s ahead scares me.” Although I was scared I had a sense of comfort. I knew that my worries didn’t matter because I also knew that this was without a doubt what God wanted me to do with my life. There was nothing I should’ve been worrying about, but at the same time it was all fresh and there were a lot of unknowns.
After we got done praying and talking I walked out of the room and the group was ready to meet about our trip. Before I went in to the meeting, I stopped my pastor, Brother Ken, (I was excited and wanted to share with him) to ask him if he could hang around for a minute. After the meeting was over I found Bro. Ken and started sharing with him what was going on. His son, Jason, came over asking if he could talk to me for a second and then he handed me the exact amount of money that the trip (that I had already paid for) cost and said someone wanted to pay for my trip. I then broke down into tears and asked him to sit down with his dad and myself. I then proceeded to tell him how I was struggling with answering God’s call because I hadn’t had faith that God would provide financially. The donor was anonymous and the money had been given weeks before I even knew for sure I was going on the trip. This was a big sign of affirmation for me.
That Thursday we left for Anderson, IN. There were many great things that happened on the trip, but what stuck out to me the most happened Sunday morning. There was a guy getting ready to leave for his first day of college and he brought us the message that morning. What did he talk about you ask? Jonah. I had to kind of chuckle and I thought to myself “Okay, God, you have my attention.”
I'm going to leave you with some scripture that has been a great encouragement to me so far in this journey.
"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became the wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
-1 Corinthians 1:26-31
I'm going to leave you with some scripture that has been a great encouragement to me so far in this journey.
"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became the wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
-1 Corinthians 1:26-31
