“What if we identified where God was moving & joined him?” That was a question Jamie posed my first Sunday at Journey after moving to Nashville exactly a year ago today. And that question has been in the back of my mind ever since.
I think sometimes we make it too complicated. God is always working which means there is always something for us to join Him in. Unfortunately I think we spend so much time trying to make our own dreams or projects into His will that we miss thousands of opportunities He has for us to join Him in the incredible things He is already doing.
When God says, “go,” go! Stop analyzing. Stop trying to be sure. Just go. And if He hasn’t said “go here,” then look at where He’s working & join Him. Because the truth is, we’ve already been given to the command to go. All of us. Go may mean across the world, it may mean across the country, or it may mean just across the street or even across the room. It’s all going.
Either way, I think most of the time it really is that simple. Just go.
Hi Katie,
I am Jim, aka BlessedDad. I read your story, and was impressed with your thoughts on things. I like how you have a desire to focus more on relationships than on religion, I would have to say, I cuncur!
On the subject of just "going" when you feel God calls you, I also agree. I will say that when you feel called to go and do something, it is mentally not always easy, logistics get in the way, common sense says "what are you doing". I have learned to listen to that Holy Spirit though, and I try to answer His call when it comes. Last year it took me to Austria for three weeks on a short term mission, and it was one off the best things that has happened to me. Anyway, I enjoy your writing, and will be stopping back by. God Bless-Jim
Austria,
I had been looking into going on a short term mission, and had looked at the ones my church had listed on their website. I saw Austria, and being a huge fan of mountains and forest, I thought wow, then I realized I was thinking of myself, so I started looking at Africa in a hot dry place. Now it gets strange, I had leaned to Africa, then I had a dream. In the dream, it was put upon my heart that I needed to go to Austria, I needed to go get a passport, and I needed to tell my wife not to worry about the cost (I know, it sounds wacky). So, I got my passport, told my wife not to worry, and signed up for the trip.
Haus Edelweiss is a training site for Christians/pastors/missionaries in eastern and western Europe, North Africa, Etc. During the cold war, they would train folks and send them under the iron curtain to run underground churches. It is still doing that, training people to spread the word in free and closed countries.
The mission was a service mission, while the seventy or so students were there, I would carry out their trash, wash their dishes, mop floors, vacuum carpets, clean the bathrooms. I learned a new meaning to service and humlity, it was one of the most rewarding times I have had. I unplugged from cellphones and TV for three weeks, and spent a lot of time reading the Word every day, and serving the heroes who take God's word into Muslim countries, Russia, Estonia, Moldova, Belaruss, etc. It was awesome.
Here is the link, it is really a great thing to do if you feel called. http://www.tcmi.org/
God Bless-Jim