The Face of Inspiration
"Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity" 1 Timothy 4:12
During a road trip to South Carolina this spring, God gave me the unexpected gift of a new friend. There's more than a few years separating our ages, but by the first rest stop, we already had the start of a never-ending inside joke, had laughed so hard we cried, and determined that for now and forever more, the world will be her oyster.
We crack each other up on a regular basis, even if someone else wouldn't find us funny. We probably laugh way too loud during our regular lunch dates over buffalo chicken nachos and wings, and have a little more fun than we should with our hashtag filled texting. We scream when we see each other, and she's always an excellent go to for a good hug.
But above all else, she's a Jesus-loving, God-following young woman who has become such an inspiration to me. Back in June, I wished her farewell as she spent her summer serving as an intern at a church in Montana. It wasn't easy taking the big leap across the states to a place she'd never visited before she got off that plane. So, it wasn't a surprise that there were some teary moments where she missed home, but with a little love and encouragement from the people back here, she stayed. And, she grew in her faith and her love for God.
Upon her return to Kentucky, I was so happy to find ourselves sharing a table again at our favorite lunch location. She had stories to share of her adventures out west and expressed the love she had for the people she had come to consider family in just a few short months.
But, she also had some news. Exciting news. She felt God was calling her to pack up her things, take a big leap and return to Montana for a year. A time of prayer and preparation began, and after all the pieces fell into place, I shared another goodbye meal with her last month.
I miss her something terrible, but I sure am proud of her. Since she's been gone, we've talked about the move and how there's been a time of waiting for God to reveal just what her mission field is going to look like. How will she spend her days? Who is she supposed to be serving and reaching out to? While we know that we can trust God with our lives, it can be hard not to let nerves and fear take control as you're waiting for Him to reveal His plan. You can start to question whether you really heard Him correctly or maybe you pushed your own agenda. Maybe those people who thought you were crazy for taking that leap were right. Maybe you need to wait for His direction, maybe you need to get up and do something.
So, what a great time of rejoicing we had this week when she texted to say,
"This week has been super encouraging, and I'm feeling like I have a purpose and I am here for a reason...I'm so thankful for you and friends like you who encourage during the good times and the bad!"
That precious girl's barely into her twenties, but she makes me wish I had gotten my own walk together a little sooner than I did. She's so young, but she's so in love with her Lord and she's striving so hard to be obedient to His call, so much so that she's willing to sit in the tough places and wait on Him. To pack up her roots and plant them in new soil, growing where she's planted. She's a beautiful face of inspiration to me when I feel like the waiting needs to go faster.
As I reflected on my sweet sister this week, the Newsboys' song, "Stay Strong" came to mind. Maybe you've just felt God calling you to something new, maybe you're getting ready to take that first step, and maybe you've had to slow down and wait patiently for the next one. Hopefully these lyrics and a young woman's faith can encourage you today:
"Stay strong
You are not lost
Come on and fix your eyes ahead
There's a new dawn to light our day, our day
You've gotta stay strong
You and I run
For the prize that lies ahead
We've come too far to lose our way"
During a road trip to South Carolina this spring, God gave me the unexpected gift of a new friend. There's more than a few years separating our ages, but by the first rest stop, we already had the start of a never-ending inside joke, had laughed so hard we cried, and determined that for now and forever more, the world will be her oyster.
We crack each other up on a regular basis, even if someone else wouldn't find us funny. We probably laugh way too loud during our regular lunch dates over buffalo chicken nachos and wings, and have a little more fun than we should with our hashtag filled texting. We scream when we see each other, and she's always an excellent go to for a good hug.
But above all else, she's a Jesus-loving, God-following young woman who has become such an inspiration to me. Back in June, I wished her farewell as she spent her summer serving as an intern at a church in Montana. It wasn't easy taking the big leap across the states to a place she'd never visited before she got off that plane. So, it wasn't a surprise that there were some teary moments where she missed home, but with a little love and encouragement from the people back here, she stayed. And, she grew in her faith and her love for God.
Upon her return to Kentucky, I was so happy to find ourselves sharing a table again at our favorite lunch location. She had stories to share of her adventures out west and expressed the love she had for the people she had come to consider family in just a few short months.
But, she also had some news. Exciting news. She felt God was calling her to pack up her things, take a big leap and return to Montana for a year. A time of prayer and preparation began, and after all the pieces fell into place, I shared another goodbye meal with her last month.
I miss her something terrible, but I sure am proud of her. Since she's been gone, we've talked about the move and how there's been a time of waiting for God to reveal just what her mission field is going to look like. How will she spend her days? Who is she supposed to be serving and reaching out to? While we know that we can trust God with our lives, it can be hard not to let nerves and fear take control as you're waiting for Him to reveal His plan. You can start to question whether you really heard Him correctly or maybe you pushed your own agenda. Maybe those people who thought you were crazy for taking that leap were right. Maybe you need to wait for His direction, maybe you need to get up and do something.
So, what a great time of rejoicing we had this week when she texted to say,
"This week has been super encouraging, and I'm feeling like I have a purpose and I am here for a reason...I'm so thankful for you and friends like you who encourage during the good times and the bad!"
That precious girl's barely into her twenties, but she makes me wish I had gotten my own walk together a little sooner than I did. She's so young, but she's so in love with her Lord and she's striving so hard to be obedient to His call, so much so that she's willing to sit in the tough places and wait on Him. To pack up her roots and plant them in new soil, growing where she's planted. She's a beautiful face of inspiration to me when I feel like the waiting needs to go faster.
As I reflected on my sweet sister this week, the Newsboys' song, "Stay Strong" came to mind. Maybe you've just felt God calling you to something new, maybe you're getting ready to take that first step, and maybe you've had to slow down and wait patiently for the next one. Hopefully these lyrics and a young woman's faith can encourage you today:
"Stay strong
You are not lost
Come on and fix your eyes ahead
There's a new dawn to light our day, our day
You've gotta stay strong
You and I run
For the prize that lies ahead
We've come too far to lose our way"
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