Thursday, March 10, 2011

Stepping out in faith

Jesus tells us to have faith. And you know, right, by now, that having faith isn't just a passive, sit there and wait for God to do something for you thing, right? Have you too gotten to a point in your life where you've figured out that faith is an action, a thing that YOU have to do? Its something that takes a lot of practice. A LOT. More than I actually care to do, sometimes. But its something that we need to do out of our love for the Lord, and out of obedience, and to show God that we trust Him to answer our prayers.

I have been stepping out in faith a lot lately. There is a mission trip to Ethiopia being planned through my church, and I want to go something awful. I mean it. Ever since I heard about last year's trip there, I have had it laying on my heart so heavily to go there. During the Ethiopia trip, the mission workers go help out a couple orphanages like Drawn from Water (http://www.drawnfromwater.org) and also go to minister to the forgotten, abandoned people in a nearby leper colony.

And you can think whatever you want of me when I say this, but when I heard about that-- going into the stinking, smelly, abandoned leper colony, going to the orhpanage of abandoned children, walking in the rain and the mud and getting dirty.... I thought, Now THAT is my idea of a good time.

That is exactly how I want to spend my summer vacation. I can feel it in my heart-- That is exactly what God wants me to do.

The problem, however, is the timing. The trip is planned for late June/ early July. My vacation that my boss gives me, however, is at the end of July. She can't/won't spare me any other time. See the problem there? So... I am praying, and have tons of other people praying for me, that SOMETHING will give.... that God will work out the timing so that somehow the dates will work out, and I will get to go. Somehow. I don't know how its going to all work out. It's too big a job for me. But nothing is too big for God.

So I have been stepping out in faith. I am getting ready for this trip, anyway.
I got my passport last month. One step.
I e-mailed the person in charge of the trip and told him how its on my heart to go, but here's the deal with my vacation.
Then last night I did what has been the hardest part so far-- I got some of my vaccinations. Did you know that insurance doesn't pay for that stuff? Oh well. If you're voluntarily leaving America, guess you are own your own there, buddy. So $275 and 2 sore arms later, I am now not in any fear of getting polio, yellow fever, or typhoid any time soon-- hallelujah!
So I continue stepping out in faith. [Sometimes, like getting those shots last night, you'll notice that stepping out in faith hurts a little. Thats okay. Its part of the deal.]
My next step is to keep on talking about the trip-- and to start raising funds for it. I am putting a little money away from each paycheck. Maybe I'll hold a bake sale. I make a mean loaf of homemade bread ;)
Just keep stepping out in faith, one thing at a time-- until I land myself in Ethiopia this year--because my heart is already there.

1 comment:

Belle said...

Nothing is too hard for the Lord, as the Bible says. I will beging to pray for you about this. God bless.