When I decided to follow Jesus I chose give up my everything. I made this choice willingly but didn't quite grasp how much I was giving up. God is constantly watching over me, and reminding me of this commitment.
Yesterday I was meeting with some friends from High school. After talking to them for nearly two hours I finally saw how far out of "The Circle" I had always been. I'd spent nearly two years of my life with some of these people in school yet hadn't spent one day of it outside of school. My friends told me of all the huge parties everyone had been at (With the exception of me) and they confessed that they always hid loads of stuff from me because I was constantly talking about Jesus and always had my bible with me.
When I returned from Snow College I was getting depressed because none of my friends wanted to hang out and wouldn't even return my calls. God used this conversation to show me that by accepting him I had become his property and that by having him in my life I was protected from the diseases that now plague nearly every one I knew in High School. Alcoholism, Marijuana use, Prescription drug abuse, and many other things that I would have been exposed to had I not been a Jesus Freak.
I thanked God today for guiding my paths, and giving me this hindsight to show me how much he has provided for me. I also ask that you pray for those people and their reconciliation to the Lord.
More Providence:
Money. AHHHH! Just the mention of the word gets my stomach doing back flips inside of me. I hate taking it, I hate spending it, and most of all I hate asking for it. I'd rather be lost in the wilderness without any survival equipment than do a fund raiser, so you can understand my difficulty in preparing for this trip.
At first I thought to myself... OK, well if I just fast, and have enough faith in God I will not have to ask ANYONE for money but just let God provide.
Though I had good intentions God wanted me to trust in his church body, and be willing to step out of my comfort zone for him. So I did.
I expected God to provide the money in the first week, so when I was 300 dollars short on my last day of fund raising I knew that God was going to provide for me, I just didn't know how. God chuckled, bent down, and said "Watch this!"
...
So I watched.
I received an email from Every Child Ministries(ECM) with my account portfolio. I was still two hundred dollars short. Needless to say, I was a little flustered. I was giving God the little elbow nudge that says "Hey, any time now!" and God nudged me back and said "Chill out, I got this."
The next day I was called by ECM and told that I had raised about three hundred dollars more than was necessary. I knew he was gonna provide the entire time, but God used this to increase my faith in him.
It's been a week and God has also provided me with spending money so I can buy food for the kids on the street.
Praise God!
Prayer Requests:
- Good health (I'm feeling a little queasy from all the new meds in my body)
- Safe travel (Flying out 2:45 this Sunday to Chicago, then to London, then to Ghana)
- My friends here in Utah (Especially Casey: Who is searching for the Lord)
- Submission to the Lord (That I will daily give my: Family, Future, Friends, Struggles, and life to him)
My Prayer:
Lord, I pray for blessings upon all those who have been supporting me spiritually, financially, and emotionally. God I thank you for all that you have provided me in these last few weeks and how you've taught me to trust in your church body. Holy Holy Holy are you Lord almighty, God I pray for those struggling with faith Lord, that you would reveal your ever guiding hand to them and that you would lead the lost to you and strengthen those that already belong to you. Thank you for this trip and the miraculous things that have already happened.
God I pray that when I go to Ghana that I will be transparent to these people and that all they would see is you shining from me in actions, speech, and thought. Father please watch over my family while I'm gone and comfort my parents who I'm sure will worry about me.
I ask these things in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Verse(s):
Proverbs 16:3 - Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:9 - In his heart a man plans his course but the lord determines his steps
Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
