2 Corinthians 12:10
This is why for Christ's sake,
I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties-
for when I am weak, then I am STRONG.
It is 85 degrees and sunny today in Kona. I decided to have a "date with Jesus" and took this saturday to spend time alone meditating on His word, and i wound up here at Starbucks after a few hours on the beach. I am completely broke, so my order was a venti ice water. YUM. With $21 in my bank account, This is teaching me to live by faith, knowing God will provide. YWAM many stand for "Youth With A Mission", but I prefer Youth Without Any Money. Another funny one i've heard is Young Women After Men.
If you would have asked me a year ago where i would be today, i would have probably said University of Washington or Seattle Pacific University. Yet, i find myself embarking to AFRICA in 31 days. WHOA. It's just blows my mind how faithful God is when He promises He will grant the desires of my heart.
This week was yet another stretching and challenging week as I am seeking the heart of God. We live in a generation that has been pumped with so much self esteem, yet has the most insecurities. God is asking me to step up, step out, to be genuine, and to be REAL. No more sugar coated faith, no more beating around the bush, no more holding off another day. The time is NOW- to live out my life as a young woman of Christ. We had Don Gillman as our lecture speaker this week. Talk about tough love. He has been in the most desparate, insane, sickening situations-and he loved it, because he never missed out on an opportunity to share Jesus. I just had to ask myself something- if i call myself a believer and follower of Christ, why in the world have I lived in fear of stepping out to see a world changed for Jesus? It just blows my mind. I am going to Africa for HIM, yet in Olympia, WA, i was silent. In Mark 5, it tells the story of Jesus casting demons into 2,000 pigs so that the man who was possessed could be free. That part of the story is pretty cool, but Don took us deeper into this story. This man is COMPLETELY delivered of demons- he is experiencing freedom. When the people come back to see what had happened, they were AFRAID. All 2,000 pigs committed "suicide" and the people were upset because their pigs were gone, when one sould was saved from destruction. It makes me wonder. Has the world today become too attached to possessions-cars, money, fashion, work- in order to LET GO and see someone changed for the Kingdom? God is commissioning us to go and tell our cities what HE has done for us. Jesus sees incredible value in what we often forget to value. I've gotta start looking at God through new eyes; our eyes can get kind of tired if we're not looking at the thing that brings true life. Jesus tells us 366 TIMES in the bible to not be afraid. Our biggest fears are rejection and failure, but what a wonderful thing it is to take a risk because it glorifies Jesus. It's time I start doing that.
Can I ask for prayer in some areas? Outreach fees are due in two weeks, and i am still short about $850. Will you be praying God will provide that? Also, there is a flu/cold/exhaustion sickness going around. Please be praying for healing for those who have it at YWAM- it's so hard to function through busy days feeling so sluggish and well, icky.
God is breaking me, but what a better place to be broken. At University of Nations, there is an incredible community of young adults, ready to hold you accountable, to laugh with you, to grow in Jesus with you. It's charismatic, it's Christ exalting, it's a little too much fun at times, and yet it's challenging and tough- but oh, so good. I don't know if I will ever want to leave a community like this.
So aside from all the nicknames YWAM has created for itself, i've decided YWAM simply stands for one thing: LOVE.
