Me and Abe

"The LORD had said to Abram,

'Leave your native country, 

your relatives, and your father's family, 

and go to the land that I will show you.' " 

~ Genesis 12:1 ~ 

Me and Abe have a lot of similarities here. I'll get into these in a bit, but first I thought it'd be important to go over the differences we have. The first of these is Abe had a family during the time of this new direction from God. Clearly, this is noteworthy because Abe wasn't just taking off solo. The guy had a lady, kids, cows, stuff, camels, and definitely a posse of helpers I clearly don't have! It wasn't so easy for him to just drop everything and take off . . . but he did. 

Abe also was a guy, which obviously I'm not. It's not so uncommon for God to speak to the men back then. I personally like to think it's because guys are directionally challenged so God had to give them lots more pointers. Ladies? Well, we totally get it and God doesn't always have to speak for us to head in the direction of which He's wanting us to go. 

The other difference between me and Abe is that he was already in a desert region and pretty much was headed to the land of luscious vegetation. I'm from the land of vegetation and headed into a desert region. To most, this is not at all noteworthy but I feel it is extremely noteworthy. I'm leaving the beauty of Minnesota behind for the barren wasteland of Texas. Don't get me wrong, but I'm very excited for this journey. I'm just having a hard time with the idea of leaving trees and plants for sand and heat. Now for the similarities . . . 

Me and Abe are old. Yep. It's true. Granted numerically he's old-ER . . . culturally we're both old. This is totally fine with me because I really can't envision a "young" Emily leaving her native country. I think being old and moving away from your native country is really quite wise. I really think a lot of people could benefit from packing up and just going away at some point in their lives. 

Me and Abe are going on a nomadic journey. A nomad is someone who lives with a group of people and moves from one place to another. Abe, of course, is literally a nomad at this point. My situation is slightly different because the community group isn't traveling with me, but it's similar because I'm going from one place to another for community. Hmm . . . maybe that's a stretch, but I think it's similar enough. Anyways . . 

The final similarity betwixt me and Abe is that God called us both to leave the comforts of home and go to the land that God is gonna show us. What's really interesting here is we are both entering a foreign land. Abe went to the mysterious "Promised Land" and I am headed to "Texas," which is practically its own country and, therefore, a foreign land.

When a friend said, "You're going on an Abraham Journey," it stuck. 

Texas 2014 Part 2

I learned a long time ago never to make a decision without first checking out all my options. After researching the ministry I found in Texas, I realized I needed to go to Waco to check it out. Seeing is believing and it is very hard to make a decision without seeing it, experiencing a taste of what could be, and seeking God's will during the process. This trip was unlike any trip I had ever taken before.

For the first time ever, I rented a car to use at my destination. Typically, I travel to see family and friends who do not mind being my airport taxi. This trip would not be feasible without me having a car to use regularly. I got my cute little car and thoroughly enjoyed buzzing around in it. I named him Rich Allen James, R. Allen James for short. He was a pearl white Nissan Versa and I loved him!

I was able to stay at a cute, little one bedroom cottage that was just beautiful. It was quiet and peaceful to just sit in the cottage and read a book in between my agenda. I think my favorite part about the cottage is there was a built-in desk in the bedroom that had art supplies in it. It was a huge treasure to find! I had fun creating some projects in my journaling Bible.

The first night, I was able to check out the discipleship school. This was important because I was actually considering moving to Texas to go to the discipleship school in August. It was interesting and very neat to see the students actively engaging in discussion. It was also really amazing to see the body of Christ surround someone who was hurting and sharing with the body the need for accountability. It is something you don't see very often in churches, let alone other arenas. This was very encouraging to my heart.

The next day I was able to check out a couple ministries the church is in charge of. The first was a women's recovery center and it was amazing. I was very impressed with the fact this church not only acknowledged that recovery was necessary, but they also found a way to help those caught in addition to overcome it. They didn't just add another program to their activities, they developed a ministry to reach addicts right in the thick of their struggles. I don't think I have ever heard of a church that had done this before. I was so encouraged by this because all too often churches toss programs at problems or refuse to acknowledge the heart of the struggles addicts face day in and day out. I was able to go to this ministry a couple times during my week long visit in Waco and it was one of my highlights.

The other ministry I checked out was a reading mentorship  program in a local elementary school. This was really neat because the students were mostly bilingual and struggled with reading out loud. It was amazing to see these kids trying so hard to improve their reading skills and be vulnerable while a trustworthy adult was investing in them. It was a beautiful thing  a majority of adults miss out on.It was also really cool to see a church invested in the public school system so that it could be successful, instead of doing the opposite and only supporting alternatives to public school education.

This church also had a special church service for the homeless that included giving a meal to those who came. The meal this night was breakfast. I talked to 3 people who told me this was typically their only meal for their entire week and they'd ration it out throughout the week. It just hit me how unreal poverty and homelessness is still in America and how little most churches do about it. I believe doing little to nothing is completely against what God expects of His children. As Christians, we should be out in the depths of the pain and suffering restoring life, hope, and joy to those who are poor, needy, hurting, homeless, orphaned, widowed, or lacking in any other way. This service was so amazing to me. I was able to be a part of the prayer team and prayed for four individuals who came forward to ask for prayer. It was an absolutely beautiful service to partake in.

The rest of the trip was spent meeting up with a variety of ladies who were in my age and stage, who were or had been a part of the discipleship school previously. It was so much fun to meet and connect with other gals who loved the Lord and who were intentional about living out their faith in their every day lives. I have noticed all too often that this is a rarity amongst single, Christian women today.

The biggest thing that God did this week was confirm to me that I needed to follow His will for me and not be afraid. He confirmed for me over and over again during the week that this was His dream for me. It was very true: His dreams for me were greater and higher than what I was thinking.

Challenge 2014

A passion and a love of mine is volunteering with youth groups. I have a huge heart for junior highers. I just find that age group to have such great potential. Last summer, I was able to go on a trip with my youth group kids to Kansas City to EFCA Challenge 2014. I'll be honest, it wasn't the top trip for me. I know now my 3 days of sickness were due to reactive hypoglycemia, which I'm happy to report is now stable. During the trip, I thought my sickness and migraines were due to too much stimulation/sensory as a TBI survivor. This made the trip a bit of a bummer for me because I was sick so much and missed out on a lot of interactions with the students. I look back on it now and smile at the irony that God used a not-so-stellar trip to get my attention.

REACH Global put on a "Walk through Berlin" for the students. Our youth group went through in two groups because we were so large. There was a door on the left you exited out of and a door on the right you entered. As you entered, there were stages set up with narrators who gave you a brief bit about Berlin, Germany and what's going on there. The point of this walk was to bring awareness to the students of what's going on now in the world, what could begin here in America, and help them start thinking of ways to make a difference.

In Germany, prostitution is legal. Yeah . . . I don't get that either, but it is. America seems to be 10 years behind Germany in its laws right now, so there's a hope that was presented to the students that it doesn't have to be that way. It was a very honest, intense account of what is going on in Berlin, what human trafficking is all about, and what sex trafficking looks like in a country that legalized prostitution.

After this hallway of narration, you walked into this open area. There was a fountain in the center and 4 pillars placed in the silhouette of a square shape. The pillars all shared information on what the students could do now to stop sex trafficking and child slavery.  The fountain was used as a place for participants of the walk to pray for Berlin, for all that's going on, and seek God for what He would want you to do about it. I was profoundly moved and asked God to help me make a difference.

I asked Him directly, "How do you want to use me?

What is your dream for me?"

I don't hold to the view that God has a specific voice that can be audibly heard by humans. I do believe He will answer us and we will hear Him speak to us. As I prayed at the fountain, God did exactly that--He answered me. He said, "I want to use you to restore women's lives." It gave me internal goosebumps at the time. First, that God would so quickly answer and, secondly, He had an amazing dream for me I never knew about it! I started praying about this and reaching out to various ministries to be a part off. Many doors shut, but one. This was a church in Waco, Texas that is very Christ-focused and driven to preparing people to serve God. This church and the city of Waco is where I'm headed in 5 days. I am completely excited for this journey and for what's ahead. 

My Airplane Buddy

One of the things I love about traveling alone is the people you run into. I really enjoy people watching as well, especially family members interacting and couples engaged in conversation. Another favorite of mine when I travel is my airplane buddies. I first heard this concept in a sermon by Pastor Bob, the first pastor I heard give a real sermon with life applications inside it.

"My favorite thing to do is ask my airplane buddy a question.

'Tell me about God, as you understand Him.'

Then, I listen to them talk and hear their perspective.

I have learned so much about others by doing this, 

not to mention, it has increased my desire to share my faith more."

After hearing this I told myself I was gonna always talk to my airplane buddy. What's a little different is, I don't force the conversation to go into spiritual things. I really like being led by the Holy Spirit in all things, including my discussions. I think it's important to know what you believe and why you believe it. It's also extremely important to be able to discuss it with others. I combined these principles to my plans with my airplane buddies. If the conversation went spiritual, I would follow their lead. If I was asked a question, I would answer it honestly. I allowed the conversation to be driven in direction and in length by the airplane buddy. Memorial Day weekend in 2014 while en route from Dallas Love Field Airport to Kansas City, I sat by my ultimate airplane buddy. 

Earlier that day, I had prayed for my airplane buddy. I specifically wanted to sit with someone who was friendly, which would be evident in the smile they would give me when we made eye contact. Well, here I was 2/3 of the way down the aisle and everyone seemed to completely avoid eye contact--even when I would try to force it. One guy was so determined to resist eye contact, he finally covered his eyes with his hands. I get it man, I get it. I finally made eye contact with a gal who not only smiled at me, but her whole face lit up and she said, "Hi!" I had to sit by this girl!

Sitting next to Becky** was amazing. She led the conversation not only onto spiritual things, but to a depth most people wouldn't go on their first encounter. We shared our testimonies with one another and we also shared where we were in our life stages. Becky is my age and single. She was on her way to see her family one last time before she became a full-time overseas missionary. I was so excited to hear her story that I immediately volunteered to be a prayer partner for her. I still am and it's been such a blessing! Right before we got off the airplane, we prayed for each other and thanked God for bringing us together. It was a day I will never forget as long as I live.

A few months later, Becky sent me her first email newsletter about her trip. It was so exciting to hear her story and be able to pray for her. I love being able to cover her in prayer and follow her journey with God. As I read her newsletter, I noticed the name of the ministry who sent her out at the bottom of the email. I recalled some specifics about what she said and became intrigued. I followed some links from her email and this started me on a path towards a clearer picture of what God had in mind for my life.

** Becky is a substitute name for the real person I met. The reason for this she is serving in an area with some potential risks if her motives were known. Additionally, I do not want my blog to risk her safety. God knows who she is! **

The Beginning of the Journey

It's 7 days until my move to Texas, seven days. This all still unbelievable to me . . . it is my life. I really gotta pinch myself sometimes! I can't believe it was a year and a half ago this all began. 

I walked forward for a "word" from someone who was gifted. I pride myself in thinking I am not very radical or scandalous in my experiences in life, which to some this will sound like I'm very opposite. She was giving me a word from God . . . not a prediction of my life achievements, or an answer to where my allusive husband was. Instead, she zeroed in on me--my life, my dreams, my God's view of it all.

"You are in a hot air balloon that is very beautiful. 

The hot air balloon represents your dreams in life. 

The dreams have been excellent ones, 

but God has bigger dreams planned for you.

He's popping your balloon."

At first hearing this word, one would think that God is cruel . . . I mean, every child cries when their balloon pops. However, this never entered my mind. Instead, I immediately started wondering what dreams I had had that weren't approved by God. What's really interesting about it is God's dreams are better . . . I had never considered this possibility before. 

I spent the next year trying to figure out what dreams I had been dreaming and what dreams God would have for me that were so different, so better. I didn't expect a year long adventure to get to this understanding, but that is what happened. I am excited to share this with you all . . .