Sometimes life in ministry can have moments of fear. I mean sometimes the whole fact of the unknowns can still get me in a negative way. Even after all I went through, everything God has taught me, all that He has led me through, I still struggle with doubt.
God still doesn't give up on me, He still keeps leading me and guiding me. When I do have those moments, the moments of doubt God has a way of working in that too. He continues to remind me time and time again that He has all things under control, and He knows my every need,
This past Sunday I was back in my home church. One thing you have to know about me is I'm usually not an emotional person in public... if I do feel it coming on I will do everything I can to hide it. But towards the end of the service, it was very hard to hide. I felt the Spirit totally come over me, and it almost felt as if I was the only one in the room... right there just me and God. Then at the end of the service they sang one of my most favorite hymns, "Through it All."
It was an awesome service on Sunday. The main point of the message was having strong faith even when the storms are raging. The passage was about the disciples on the boat, and a huge storm came over the boat, while Jesus was sleeping. They were afraid. Jesus woke up, and calmed the storm. He asked them where was there faith...
All through life we have storms. We have times where it feels as if Jesus is so far away. We doubt, we fear, we try to handle things in our own hands... I can go on and on, but even through the times of storms, Jesus is with us. He is with me. I have to remind myself of that constantly.
I cannot loose heart when there is a battle to face, and I cannot get over confident when things are going great. I must remain humble before the Lord. Keeping my eyes on Him, and letting Him guide me where He wants me. My life is all about faith. Yes it gets hard, yes it comes to a point where it just plain hurts, and times when I just want to say forget it, I can't do this anymore...
But I know that God has called me. He has a plan in all things, and He even uses my weaknesses. On Sunday God spoke to me, and gave me a little wake up call, telling me He was here, and I need to continue to keep my faith on Him, trusting in Him, and allowing Him to take over my life. I can't have it all figured out, that's impossible. But I know I can leave everything in the hands of my Savior. That is a true comfort, and something that keeps me going forward. I know that He is with me through everything good and bad.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
One House done, One family changed forever
I have just gotten back from Tijuana, on a house building project this weekend. This was my second house that I helped build. The family was amazing, and their lives are forever changed...
On Thursday my co-worker, and I along with a couple staff from TJ met the team at the airport. We got the teams down to Mexico on a charter bus, and were able to get to know them a little bit over the weekend. The teams all stayed at a hotel close by the base, while the YWAM staff stayed at the base.
Friday was day 1 of building. We all worked very hard, and I did a lot of hammering and helped put the walls up. There were little departments that everyone was able to help in, and overall we worked very well together. Saturday was the completion day, and that day most of the house was built. We just had to finish the roof, get the electricity going, touch up painting, and getting the furniture inside and put together. On that day I was in charge of the camera, so I didn't do a whole lot of heavy duty stuff.
They family we built for were very grateful we were there. The dad was crying the moment we arrived pretty much. He had walked away from God, but for a couple years he was praying that God would send someone to him to help get him and his family a fresh start. When we arrived God answered his prayers, but in a way he didn't expect. He not only received a house,and other material things, but he received Christ back into his life. He rededicated his life to the Lord, and told us he wants to be more involved with going to church, and having devotions with his family, and he wants to follow after God and His desire for his life. God is working in this man's life, and I know that He will continue to.
It was pretty amazing, but I felt like I was more blessed by the experience than the family was. They taught me a lot that day, and even though there was a language barrier, it doesn't take words to understand their open hearts, and the love they showed us. They had very little as far as material, but they had so much to offer us. They welcomed us into their lives, and gave us the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to them. They saw Jesus in each of us, and invited Him into their own lives.
I learned a lot over this weekend. Gods power was released through me, and He gave me a chance to make a difference in a needy family's lives. God will continue to do so as I continue to walk forward with Him. One thing that I know is people of every nation, every background, and in every situation they may be in need to hear that God loves them. They need Jesus. Nobody can live without Him, and I know God gave me a call to serve Him as a missionary. To be His ambassador and to shine to everyone. Sharing His love with everybody... to those who have never heard the words I love you, to those who are sitting on the corners with no place to go, to the wife abused by her husband, to the child sitting on the door step alone and confused, to the business man who just lost his job, to rich executive to the world out there walking in the darkness... everyone from rich to poor, needs to hear it... but not only that they need to see it in our actions. God will move in us to reach to them. I just need to be who God has called me to be... I shall not fear for God is with me.
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and they day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes."
Isaiah 61:1-3
On Thursday my co-worker, and I along with a couple staff from TJ met the team at the airport. We got the teams down to Mexico on a charter bus, and were able to get to know them a little bit over the weekend. The teams all stayed at a hotel close by the base, while the YWAM staff stayed at the base.
Friday was day 1 of building. We all worked very hard, and I did a lot of hammering and helped put the walls up. There were little departments that everyone was able to help in, and overall we worked very well together. Saturday was the completion day, and that day most of the house was built. We just had to finish the roof, get the electricity going, touch up painting, and getting the furniture inside and put together. On that day I was in charge of the camera, so I didn't do a whole lot of heavy duty stuff.
They family we built for were very grateful we were there. The dad was crying the moment we arrived pretty much. He had walked away from God, but for a couple years he was praying that God would send someone to him to help get him and his family a fresh start. When we arrived God answered his prayers, but in a way he didn't expect. He not only received a house,and other material things, but he received Christ back into his life. He rededicated his life to the Lord, and told us he wants to be more involved with going to church, and having devotions with his family, and he wants to follow after God and His desire for his life. God is working in this man's life, and I know that He will continue to.
It was pretty amazing, but I felt like I was more blessed by the experience than the family was. They taught me a lot that day, and even though there was a language barrier, it doesn't take words to understand their open hearts, and the love they showed us. They had very little as far as material, but they had so much to offer us. They welcomed us into their lives, and gave us the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to them. They saw Jesus in each of us, and invited Him into their own lives.
I learned a lot over this weekend. Gods power was released through me, and He gave me a chance to make a difference in a needy family's lives. God will continue to do so as I continue to walk forward with Him. One thing that I know is people of every nation, every background, and in every situation they may be in need to hear that God loves them. They need Jesus. Nobody can live without Him, and I know God gave me a call to serve Him as a missionary. To be His ambassador and to shine to everyone. Sharing His love with everybody... to those who have never heard the words I love you, to those who are sitting on the corners with no place to go, to the wife abused by her husband, to the child sitting on the door step alone and confused, to the business man who just lost his job, to rich executive to the world out there walking in the darkness... everyone from rich to poor, needs to hear it... but not only that they need to see it in our actions. God will move in us to reach to them. I just need to be who God has called me to be... I shall not fear for God is with me.
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and they day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes."
Isaiah 61:1-3
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