Good morning! It is currently 9:58 am, Saturday the fourteenth–two weeks until training camp. Up until this point, this summer has been filled with nothing but empowerment through the gospel and finding contentment in myself, God, and my relationships. I’ve been diving deep into the word, surrounding myself with God’s promises and truths, so that I may be spiritually prepared to go into battle for the kingdom. This past week, my bible study group finished up Hebrews. Since then, I’ve been reading these few verses again and again and again.
“be content with what you have, because God has said,
‘Never will I leave you;
Never will I forsake you.’
So we say with confidence,
‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?'” heb 13:5b-6
I have found so much empowerment through these verses. Someone recently told me that once God opens a door, He won’t leave you there. If you take the step of faith to go through that door, He will not leave you to take the next steps alone. Those words have remained burning in my heart because it is so comforting knowing that the God who has conquered all sickness, disease, sin, and even death is on my side. If that God is for me, who could ever stop me?
Still, the past couple of days, I have begun to feel nervous about the trip. I have never done something like this, so how can I know if I am prepared emotionally and spiritually? As the trip inches closer, so does the fear, and so does my need for trust and faith in God and what He is doing.
However, in this time, there is so much more to be thankful for than to fear of, so I wanted to list a few of those things here. I feel like finally, God is using, preparing, and pursuing me, so I am so thankful for that. I am thankful that I have been fully funded to leave in two weeks!! I am thankful for friends and family that share the same heartbeat as me and have been praying over me night after night. I’m thankful that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, even when it may not feel like it. I’m thankful for rest. I’m thankful for the two separate people that I have encountered recently from South Africa and their words of advice and encouragement. I pray for a continuation of this thankfulness and joy. Jesus, I pray that you would continue to reach my heart and speak to me, guiding me closer to you. And Jesus, I pray that Philippians 1:6 will ring true, that “He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Lord, continue to use me and bring new wine out of me. SUPER pumped for this future ahead!
