As I continue to pour out my life through these blogs I can’t
help but continue to realize that I am on a journey. I don’t know if I can ever say or realize it
enough, but the Lord absolutely has me on a journey. The real beauty lies in the fact that often
times I don’t always know what’s next. I
know that my journey will always take me towards Christ, but I may not always
be able to see the route it will take. However, it is through these experiences that
the Lord has taught me that whatever the call, whatever the sacrifice, that it
is always worth it, and that wherever he leads me; he will absolutely take care
of my needs. So why tell you about all
of this, well, my hope is that as I am figuring things out, maybe the Lord will
use my experiences to help others figure things out as well. Please understand that I am by no means
always right, or have all of the answers.
I’m just saying here is my life, and these are the things that I got right,
this is where I fell short, and this is what I am still learning.
Many of
you know I have been facing this seemingly impossible mountain standing in my
way; that mountain is my almost $70,000 in student loan debt. I can’t even begin to tell you how
frustrating it has been to try and tackle it.
I have been told by several people that I cannot do Missions or full-time
ministry with the amount of debt that I have.
I have been told how foolish and irresponsible I am. I’ve even been accused of not being a good
steward of the resources that God has given me.
Yet here I am, a full-time missionary, I stand unwavering with a faith
that God will provide for me because he has called me. I also understand that it is my
responsibility to pay back my loans. I’m
actively pursuing side jobs as I also try to find a part-time job so that I can
pay down my student loans as much as possible. I know that I am absolutely doing what the
Lord has asked me to do. How do I know
that I am being obedient to the Lord?
How am I so confident despite what other people may think or say about
me? The Lord takes care of me and
provides for my every need. I went back
to Ohio for Christmas break and was completely overwhelmed with people who were
sacrificing their time and their finances to enable me to chase after the Lord’s
call on my life. There is a lady in my
church who pulled me aside and gave me a $12,000 check to pay down my student
loans. How incredible is that? I didn’t even know how to respond to her
generosity. She blessed me far more than
my words can even convey. The Lord chose
to use her to meet my needs, what a beautiful picture of the body of Christ
being the body of Christ. It is my
belief that as followers of Christ, we are to depend on one another to meet
each others’ needs whatever they might be.
I have sacrificed what feels like literally everything to follow the
Lord. I have given up comfort, plush
living, a nice vehicle, and have given myself freely to invest in and bless
others. I want to live my life in such a
way that I have to make sacrifices daily in order that those around me might
catch a glimpse of Christ.
