A Stretch of Faith

Have you ever hit that breaking point? That place where you aren't sure where you're going? That moment when you were so certain about life, and then suddenly so little is certain? It is then when it is so crystal clear to me what is truly certain in this life; the overwhelming and uncontainable love, mercy, grace, and hope that we have in Christ. I have recently reached a cross roads myself, and though I feel unsure about what my future holds, I know that God has the big picture all worked out and that as long as my trust remains in Him, my life will hold few regrets. He is my sustainer. "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, 'you are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off, fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you and I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:8-10). It’s at times like these that even the smallest step of faith seems like the biggest of leaps. Joni Eareckson Tada said, "Great faith isn't the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It's simply taking God at His word and taking the next step." I absolutely love the song "Word of God Speak", by mercyme. The words go, "Word of God speak, would you pour down like rain, Washing my eyes to see, your majesty, to be still and know, that You're in this place, Please let me stay and rest, in Your holiness[...]" The idea that we can rest in the holiness of God. What a magnificent idea, that the creator of the universe beckons us to come and just settle down into the depth of His holiness, that we need not worry about what the future holds, because His word contains promises that we are incapable of fathoming. I see missions not as a huge leap of faith, but just one small step of obedience at a time. It is not the ultimate sacrifice, but the ultimate blessing.
That you would take a small step,
Amber

Remembering Mary

Each of us faces the challenge of living this life as Mary in a very Martha world. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story, in the bible Jesus visited two sisters whom he cared for greatly. Their names were Mary and Martha. Mary spent all of her time just sitting at the feet of Jesus, simply basking in his presence. Martha, however, busied herself about the house cleaning, cooking and taking care of the guests. Eventually Martha becomes frustrated that she had to do all of this work by herself, so she asks Jesus to have Mary help. Jesus commends Mary at taking time to pause, and just enjoy spend time with him. I find that I am naturally, in my carnal nature, a Martha. It is very easy for me to get caught up in temporary, day to day things, and forget to rest at the feet of Jesus. This week God has been reminding me to pursue life as Mary. I remember the times when I was so focused on resting at the feet of Christ, that even when bad days came my way, I was overwhelmed with peace and even joy. When times get stressful, it is so natural for us to become flustered or feel too stressed to spend time in communion with God. I find that people today, especially in America, are very focused on the now. They want the next new thing, now, to have fun, now, and a break from work, now. One may ask oneself, "How many times did I pause today? Pause and enjoy the glory of God? Pause and remember what Christ has done for me? Pause and recall God's plan for my life?" In a very go culture, I would encourage you to take time each day, and rest in the presence of the Almighty. I am not saying a devotional time, though this is very important. I am saying to take time away from your schedule, and just marvel at the beauty of Christ. I am asking that you would try to walk in communion with God each day, talking to Him and thanking Him throughout your day. "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!" (Psalm 100:4). As I try to develop a mission's mindset more and more, I realize that people are God's passion. I realize that if I want my heart to break for the things that break God's heart, I must desire to know His spirit intimately. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).  If I want to find true peace in God being my healer, provider, creator, and encouragement, I must chase after Him, just as He chases me.
That you may find rest,
Amber

One Step Behind

I believe one of the greatest struggles for Christians today is to accept being one step behind. I've realized this myself recently; that God is always going to keep us chasing a dream that we can't accomplish without Him. That it will become natural for us to feel as if we are one step behind, and that we should embrace this concept. If we are able to succeed at everything God calls us to alone, we will begin to take the credit for what God is doing in our lives. He deserves all the glory for every talent and accomplishment He created or enabled. Lately I've felt a little discouraged about finances for Bosnia, and my major (pre-medicine). I've never been so stretched academically, it's strange to me that I have to trust God about my school work. The other night I was talking to my mom, and in all her wisdom, she reminded me that God is going to put me in tough places, not only to strengthen my faith, but so that He gets all of the glory for the work he is doing in my life. I constantly have to remind myself that as I pursue God's plan for my life, that the journey is going to be hard, but that this is good because then I'll never forget how small I am and how much I need God's grace to make it through each day. I absolutely can't wait for that moment when I first taste that ultimate dream to be a full-time missionary. Living a life of surrender is not at all about an experience, a feeling, or a prayer of surrender. True surrender begins each morning of every day that we wake up. It begins with a prayer every day saying "God today I die to myself, help me to surrender to the plan you have for me today." I hope that each day as I pray that, that I more effectively seek the kingdom, and that I become an empty vessel each day for God to use. When I say seek the kingdom, I mean attempt to see the world as God sees it, to let the things that break Christ's heart to break mine, and that the things that bring God joy will bring me joy. I think of the poem footprints, and not just that we must be broken to be carried by Christ, but we must be humbled. As long as we believe that we are able to accomplish great things in this life without God, we will never feel the overwhelming peace of being carried by Jesus. Mother Teresa said, "I'm a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is writing a love letter to the world." Wow. I try to grasp that idea, that Christians should be little pencils for God to use to show His love to the world, a love so wide and so deep, and far too complex for any one of us to comprehend, let alone demonstrate. And yet we surrender, we allow God to hold us in his hand and use us for his glory, to use us to reach the world. Frederick Buechner said, "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." Job 11:7-9 says, "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens-- what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave-- what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea." THIS is the God that we serve. "Whoever does not know love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:8). THIS is the God we surrender to. "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19. THIS is the God we live for. He makes the impossible possible, and the impossible is only possible when we are totally humbled before our King.
That you would be humbled by the grace of Christ,
Amber

"It was then that I carried you."

Generous Living

Recently, I've heard a series of sermons on generosity, and they've really impacted the way I live and also my view of missions. The main idea is that God enables us to live beyond ourselves. In 2 Corinthians 9:11 Paul writes, "You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." God compels us to live a life of giving, and that as we give, we will be blessed with more to give. "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38. The call of Christ to give and to serve is not one that should be taken so lightly. The more God places longing in my heart for missions, the more I realize the call to live sacrificially. I think one of the most beautiful pictures in the bible of sacrificial living is the love of Christ for the church described in Ephesians 5. "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27). Dietrich Boenhoffer describes this vividly, "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die." I hope that you will seek God's face and ask Him to charge you to live generously.
May the love of Christ compel you,
Amber

Bosnia Bound

I can't believe that in four short months I will be traveling to Bosnia! I am so blessed that God is opening the doors for me to go on this missions trip. I am praying that each day that I pursue God further, He will provide the necessary passport, shots, prayers, and finances for me to go on this trip. I believe that the Bosnian people are some of the emptiest people in the world. After the Bosnian war in the 90's, around 100,000 Muslim Bosnians were dead, and about 1.8 million displaced. This harm was brought by the Serb's, who claimed themselves as Christians despite this vicious and cruel genocide. While in Bosnia, I will be doing humanitarian aid such as food distribution, while also building relationships with the Bosnian Muslims. Our team will be living with them in their homes, giving us a great opportunity to share our hearts. Though I strongly believe in Christ being my savior, I look forward to learning more about Islam so that I can better influence and love these hurting people. I hope that you will pray for me. God never ceases to amaze me with His incredible plans for each of our lives.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Romans 12:1
"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21
May the Love of Christ compel you,
Amber