At one of our sessions Jimmy was talking about how some of us have probably come to a point already where we are completely freaked out and have no idea what we’ve gotten ourselves into. He used the analogy of snow skiing and getting on the chair lift to get to the top of the mountain and that’s the time we realize that this is “the point of no return”. In order to get to the bottom of the mountain, you just have the ski down. But when you’re standing at the top you immediately regret this decision and feel completely unprepared for this. Maybe this is how we’re feeling about going to Africa. We feel completely unqualified for this in every way shape and form. But why not just finish what we’ve started. We’ve already raised all this money, said all our goodbyes and we’re already here in Atlanta…..Just do it.
It reminded me of the story when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane and He has asked his disciples to come and watch and pray with Him. It says He was feeling “sorrowful and troubled” (Matt 26:37). I wonder if Jesus was realizing to the full extent what exactly He was going to have to go through. He was crying out to God that if this cup, God’s wrath, could pass over Him, show Him a way out. He could see and sense all the pain, and torture, and humiliation that He was going to have to suffer through. I’m sure in 33 years it had crossed His mind, but now it was real. It was about to happen.
When He went back to check on his disciples they were asleep. In Jesus’ darkest moments His best friends fell asleep on Him. He didn’t even ask them to do anything hard, just stay with Him and pray. But they couldn’t even do that. He could have just gone back to heaven and been with God, but He has already gone through the trouble of coming to earth, living a perfect life, performing all these miracles and showing people truth and the power of God and showing them He was the perfect Son of God come to take away the sin of the world. Why not just finish what He’s started.
And look how incredible that turned out!
I think it’s the same way with us. We’ve gone through all this trouble why not just go for it. In the same way that Jesus asked His friends for help, rely on others for so much support and encouragement and to see us through our darkest moments, and we don’t understand when we get let down. We have to learn to trust in God completely. We have to learn how to lean on Him and to let Him encourage us and support us.
My prayer is that God would teach me how to let Him hold me, and comfort me, and encourage me. That He would teach me when to go for help and when to sit and wait on Him for His words of encouragement. I want Him to guide me and to show me how to power through and finish what I’ve started no matter the odds, no matter how much doubt. Because when I am obedient to that call God has for me whether it’s something simple like talking to a homeless man on the street and giving him my coat, or if it’s packing up all my stuff and moving to Africa for 4 months, I KNOW God is with me and He will see me through.
It would be so easy to jump on the next plane and just go home to the familiar comforts of my life. With the most comfortable bed in the world, fresh coffee in the morning, a wonderful family that thinks I’m wonderful.
But since when does God call us to things that are easy or things we’re good at?
Why not just go for it.
