Two weeks ago tonight, I met the 10 individuals who I would travel to Puerto Rico with to share Christ’s unconditional, abundant love. My emotions were running in 5 million, different directions as I tried to fall asleep on a sleeping mat in a tent as the rain relentlessly poured down. I was nervous to see what our trip would encompass, I was unsure if I was where God even wanted me to be, practically I was super uncomfortable.
When I signed up for this trip, I knew it wasn’t going to be comfortable. I had gone on mission trips before, but always with the comfort of traveling and serving alongside those who know me, my family, and my background. I didn’t fear if I would be accepted, because I knew I already was. I didn’t worry for a moment about my safety, because I trusted my leaders. It had always been easy to say, “Send me, I’ll go!” when my best friends were saying the same thing alongside me. So when God decided to call just me to go with complete strangers on a trip this summer, I thought he was crazy. Nonetheless, I answered and after I was accepted I began thinking that not only was He crazy but so was I. Comfort was something that I really liked, and crazy had never been my “thing”. So on Friday night of training camp, I was wondering what on Earth I was thinking when I intentionally signed up to be pushed out of my comfort zone.
Fast forward to tonight as I reflect on the trip, my heart is only longing to continually be crazy. I serve a Lord who within 14 days can take 11 girls with completely different lives and make us into a dynamic team. A Savior in which His love tears down every language barrier. My Father not only knows but created every grain of sand that I dug my feet into in the Caribbean Sea (as well as every grain EVERYWHERE, crazy right?). His power is simply immense.
In a little over a month, I will make a move that will obviously be uncomfortable. I’ll say goodbye to my town, my house, lots of individuals I hold near and dear, and I’ll start a chapter that requires a lot more responsibilities. For the first time though, I find my heart is full of joy as opposed to fear. Isaiah 41:10 states, “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous hand.” He alone is all the comfort I need.
His plans for each of us are crazy awesome, but we must be willing to say adios to living mediocre. Francis Chan summed it up well when he said, “It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn’t call you there so you could settle in and live your life in comfort and superficial peace”.
I cannot foresee all that my life will entail, but I pray it will be one of crazily living out the Gospel as opposed to settling for the temporary comforts of this world. Thank you to everyone who pushed me, encouraged me, supported me, and prayed for me as I made a crazy step as opposed to a comfortable one.
