Twenty Year Check Up

June 30, 2014

Twenty years ago yesterday, I answered God’s call to begin a big adventure with Him. Eleven years ago, I went all in, renewing my commitment. It’s hard to pinpoint my growth and how He changed me in those first 9 years, but the last 11? Oh yeah, I can see it! Of course, I’m not done growing and changing, but I believe I am becoming more of the woman He wants me to be. I’m still entirely too hard on my myself, second-guess most of my decisions, and often ask other people’s opinions before God’s. But I’m working on those things, and I have noticed a lot of growth. I am more patient, I think of others more, and I step out of my comfort zone more than used to. I know some of that comes with growing up and getting older, but I know a lot of it is God at work in me.

               
I am so humbled that He uses me to touch lives. I love when I get to see and experience His love at work through me. A lot of the time, we never see the results of the love we show and the work we do for Him. So it is an unexpected blessing to see the way lives are touched. During a teen mission trip recently I got to hear from some very sweet teenagers that they love and appreciate me, and my favorite part was when one said she sees Jesus in me. I was a puddle. That’s what I always strive to be, but most days I feel like just a bossy task-oriented person. So it melted my heart to hear that. And even better than that, I am floored when God speaks through the people I am trying to reach to encourage me. I’ll probably write more about this in another blog entry later, because it was really cool. But several things happened on this teen trip where I got to see teenagers encourage and uplift me, when I was there to serve them. I truly felt the hand of God in those moments, and it was so cool.

                So, I got some validation that I maybe am actually making a difference after all. It was nice, but I know it won’t always be this way. More often than not, I won’t know if the words I say and things I do actually change the way people act, think, or see God. But I’ll keep doing them. Because He wants me to, and I want to do what He wants. At the end of the day, as long as He is glorified, it was  a good day. And as long as the sun comes up, He will be. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. Be blessed this week!