Written at 8:50am on November 10th, 2022, at my favorite spot at my favorite coffee shop in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Lord, what do you want my life to be about? Make clear the portion you have entrusted me so that I can look back on my life and see that it was spent for your glory.
I feel that often enough, the World Race, and organizations like it, are summed up by a collection of followers searching for something to call their own. And sure, we were called, ordained, and commissioned to be fishers of men. Yet, underlying is the unsettling pressure of figuring life out, and that these nine months are set aside for truly finding our calling. I tell myself that here, in this time set apart from my life back home, I will find the one thing that God has for my life, and not only will his voice descend upon me like a dove, to signify the start of my ministry (Matt 3:16), but he will make it evidently clear of what in the world I am supposed to do. It turns out, sometimes God doesn’t work like that, and that’s the case 99.99 percent of the time. If his voice HAS descended upon you like a dove, and he confided to you the plans he has set before you, woah, share your testimony with me ASAP.
I am so blessed to be surrounded by a community of believers that are all from different walks of life. Women and men my age that have freshly graduated high school, people about to graduate college, or some who already graduated college and are figuring out how they want to use their degree, are all led by two amazing mentors that parent three incredible kids. This diverse group of Racers makes up my kingdom family, and to some extent or another, we are all just trying to be obedient children, listening so intently to what God has for us. We all are entrusted with so many incredible giftings that make up the body of Christ. Some leaders, others gifted with wisdom, knowledge, healing, or empathy, some whose mouth overflows with melodies, or from a pen flows eloquent poetry. To each has the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and all wield their gifting for the glory of God. While we are all so different, we were divinely appointed to each other. God has called each of us together so that we could, arm in arm, work towards the same mission: proclaim to the word that the Father has sent His Son to die for our sins and has conquered the grave.
I consistently ponder the plans God has in store for me. The most popular question I ask God is what in the world am I supposed to do, what should I build my life on? I am here in Cambodia, but what happens when I get back? All of a sudden the brothers and sisters, the men and women I worked hand in hand with, will disperse across the nation, and it will just be me again. Simply put, God answered. His voice did not descend upon me like a dove, but rest assured I am still waiting on the day. It wasn’t a sudden realization, but it came slowly over time. God gives us the freedom to decide what path to choose. The real question is will your work, the path you choose, reveal that the foundation of your life was built on Jesus Christ? God’s glory can and will shine through any and all works. It’s up to you if those works are for the glory of God. He gives us this freedom because of his steadfast love for us. God is love, and love does not insist on his own way (1 Cor. 13:5).
I pray this is a comfort for you, dear reader, as it has been a comfort for me, even if I have to remind myself every day. We are both on different walks of life, you and I, each bestowed unique valuable giftings that the Lord encourages us to steward well. In this season of your life, God is calling you to find ways to use those talents to glorify him. And if you are like me, unsure of the giftings God has manifested in you, pray that they would be revealed, or simply say “Here I am, use me as you will.” Above all else, let’s do our part and proclaim to the world the good news of Jesus Christ.
