I feel like I’m living in the overflow these days. My heart has been so filled with gratitude. It’s almost hard to express in words just how I’m feeling. I feel like my heart is soaring with the goodness of the Father!
Joy fills my soul these days as I am stepping into so much space to create!! I recently changed roles here on the race and I am so excited to step into what my new roles are! I have been treasurer for the last six months. It’s such a servant-hearted role and I am so thankful for the growth it offered me but I am even more excited for the opportunity to step into a creative space where my passions lie! I am the new storyteller and cultural coordinator for my squad! What that means is I run our Z-Squad Instagram (go follow it if you’re not! @worldrace_zsquad) I get to post pictures and tell stories about what God is doing in and through our squad while on the field!! Alongside that, I am also the new cultural coordinator for our squad! So before we go to our next two countries, I get to create a presentation all about those countries! I get to prep our squad for the culture and the spiritual atmosphere that we are about to be living and doing ministry in!!
I have a degree in International Studies and English. So basically, I learned all about the world and read a lot of books. I did a tonnnn of presentations about different countries and cultures. And I loved every second of it! And now, I get to actually use my degree for my squad!! How awesome is that!! When we did role changes at our debrief in Istanbul, I realized that both of those roles were up for grabs and my heart leapt. I knew I would love both of those roles, but was hopeful to possibly get offered one. I prayed and asked God for just that. That my name would be considered if it was His will for me. And within hours, I got a text that asked me to pray into taking the cultural coordinator role. I prayed and felt so peaceful about taking it! A week later, I got asked to also take the storyteller role as it is now combined with the cultural coordinator!! I prayed into that and also felt the Lord calling me to it!! I feel so honored to use my creative mind for our squad and for the glory of the Father!! God has reminded me that He is a God who hears!
My desire to write has flourished and I’ve entered into the sweet place with the Father. Here in Canakkale, I wake up each morning feeling refreshed like never before. I drink my coffee and grab my journal and bible to start my day. My coach told me at our debrief that my pen is my sword. And I ran with it. I’m feeling endlessly creative and I want to express every emotion that I’m feeling. The checkered pages and gold lines of my floral journal are filling as my thoughts and feelings consume the pages.
My time in the word has been more alive than it ever has! I have studied and stayed in Colossians. Camping out there and absorbing all that it has. It’s a fountain of wisdom with the gospel written all over it. My time with the Father feels like coming home. And I am coming home. I’m going to a safe place where I can just sit and be with Him. I leave the precious space filled with Holy Spirit.
My heart has been craving worship. Time set apart for just Jesus and I. Time where music is the center and I can press into Him. I can bow down in adoration at the glory of our Father! I can pray and pray and give Him my every thought! I can listen to the words of the songs that bring praise to Jesus and I can praise alongside those! When I can lift my hands and sway to the melody, creating space for Him to dwell. I usually come up to the church office and sit on one of the couches, headphones in and music on. I sway back and forth as the music stirs holy spirit and I sing my praise to Jesus. I sit there in worship and prayer until I feel full with holy spirit. Worship has been a time to drown out everything else in the world and be present with Jesus.
Intersession has overtaken my spirit. I’ve prayed to the Father that I would identify more and more with my spirit and less and less with my flesh and my spirit has answered in the form of prayers for the lost. My desire to pray for those I can’t talk to has driven me to action. I want to be the one fighting for their freedom even if they never know it. My spirit reminds me that their soul longs to know the Creator of the universe and that my prayer could plant seeds and change the of their lives! Thanks Holy Spirit! And as I pray, my spirit is praying before my mind can even catch up. And as I’ve gotten used to this, I’ve listened to the words that my heart is pouring out and the spirit speaks creatively and eloquently. A flowery language that is special to how the spirit dwells in me. A poetic speech filled with words that are fighting for the lost and the hurting and the one.
It’s because of the creative heart that the Father has given me that I get to participate in His kingdom work. He chose me for such a time as this. To love His children from all around the world and to make His name known. To tell stories of the goodness of God and all He is doing around the world! It’s all about His love for us. I want to share the beautiful love that I have gotten to experience with the whole world.
