I don’t know what possessed me to do it.

As the time for the trip drew near, I grew more excited. I looked forward to the trip because I dreaded the thought of staying home all summer. I had spent the last few summers taking care of my mom, who had been sick with cancer and had recently passed away. I don’t think I could have stayed home with those memories.

In the months after her death, my soul grew weary—I was literally walking in the valley of the shadow of death. But God says that when we’re in that valley, He’s with us and we need not fear. I trudged forth and climbed out somehow, but I thirsted for rest. Rest from the pain. Rest from responsibilities. Rest from school. I needed something different, something healing.

The thought of seeing somewhere green instead the dirty brown of Phoenix thrilled my senses. I also looked forward to my two classes about the history and literature of the British world but I expected in this great adventure to also include quite a bit of loneliness. Being a Christian, I knew I’d probably be different than the 40 other college students tagging along on my adventure. But God knew I wouldn’t be lonely. He had something else in mind.

Making friends and memories

I made friends instantly. Three other girls and I roomed together for almost the entire trip.  We did everything as a group – completing homework, and visiting parks in London.  We even found our way to the Irish Sea.

But these girls were quite different from me. One of them was a Taoist, the other two were agnostics. You might think we never broached the subject of religion, but it seems that every day there was a new conversation involving our beliefs.  The girls actually told me that they were amazed by me because they’d never met a Christian who would talk to them about beliefs without condemning them cruelly to hell.

Never alone

In spite of these differences in beliefs, I never felt lonely, but not because the girls were with me everywhere I went. God was there, too. Constantly. He permeated every conversation I had. I felt a calm reassurance whenever I had to negate the others’ claims or argue my own point.

Not only was He there when I was debating points with my friends, but He guided me in every experience I had. I’ve always been a person who wanted everything planned out, and as I’ve realized, the world doesn’t work that way. God stretched me that summer. I had to discover things on the fly and make decisions without knowing every consequence possible.

But the beauty of discovery was in knowing that God’s hand was pressed firmly against my back the entire time. It was just Jesus said a long time ago, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

God’s presence resonated in all of nature as well. As a favorite song of mine says, “Mountains bow down and the sea will roar at the sound of Your name.” Every tree, every mountain, every valley whispered to me the secrets of the glory of God. In response, my heart longed to climb to the top of one of those mountains and spin around like Maria in The Sound of Music.

Something I had feared before I went on the trip was being left in my room while my roommates went out drinking. It did happen a few times, but those times became some of my favorite evenings. I read my Bible, wrote in my journal, and spent genuine quality time with my Savior. He showed Himself to me in so many ways that summer. Verses I had never remembered reading before popped off the page.

An unexpected rejoicing

Rather than feeling sorry that I was left alone in my room, I felt so blessed to have that time with God. It was time I might not have discovered otherwise if it had not been “forced” upon me. I look back now and remember one of my favorite passages: “Rejoice in the Lord, always. I will say it again: Rejoice! … The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:4, 5b)

My faith matured a lot in the summer of 2005.  That experience deepened my knowledge of God. I knew Him better than I ever had before and I realized more than ever that He had always known me.

 Take the next step:

Are you ready to take a risk in your faith walk?
Leap of faith: As followers of Christ, we will be called to step out of our comfort zones.
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Are you willing to follow Jesus anywhere, anytime, at any cost, to do anything?

 As the “body” of Christ, we need to be where the “head” is. Where is God at work around you? How is He asking you to engage in His specific plan in your area? Too often we want to choose for ourselves when, where and how we will serve God, but Jesus says that we are to follow Him and do the good works that He has prepared for us ahead of time.  This is the place of surrender and faith, trusting God to have every detail covered as He leads us on in the great adventure of being His hands and His feet, and the fulfillment of His promise to always lead us in triumph!

Are you ready to enter into an adventure with Jesus that is based on a commitment to follow Him anywhere, anytime, at any cost, to do anything? Power To Change is launching “The Life” campaign to help you to “cross the line” and experience a life committed to living in the center of His will.  Check it out at http://powertochange.com/thelife/

Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. John 5:19

Have a blessed week as you follow Jesus in His perfect plan for you.

The summer between my 3rd and 4th year of university I worked at Yellowstone National Park. It was a great summer, full of adventures and new experiences.

On a day off, I had signed up for a day long class in rock climbing. I was successfully making my way up the side of a mountain when the instructor surprised me with an unexpected challenge, when he said, “I want you to push yourself off and fall on the rope!” Questioning why he would ask me to do this, I hesitated, and he wisely pointed out that, “You will never be a good rock climber until you can trust that the rope will hold you. Push yourself off and fall on the rope.”

I was afraid.  Obviously, my trust was in my ability to use my hands and feet to scale the mountain.  The rope was a secondary source of security, in case I slipped (which I did not plan to do!). I eventually did let go my hand holds, and I’m here to tell you that the rope held!

There are times when God seems to say the same thing to me as my instructor did that day. “Take the step, release your hands on what you are holding and see that I’m trustworthy.” The writer of the Psalms wrote, “O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the person who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8)

Just as I would never be a good rock climber without experiencing that the rope will hold. The same is true of my spiritual life. I will never be a responsive Christ follower if I am unwilling to let go of whatever I am grasping when God says, “Let go, trust me.”

Are you willing to let go of the things that give you security? We can only experience God’s goodness when we take those, sometimes scary steps that take faith. Do you trust God is able to hold you securely when you let go of the things that provide comfort or security? What step is God asking you to take? Could it be he is asking you to let go of a relationship, finances or a position … A thought that comforts me is God holds the universe together it is likely he can provide all I need to hold life together … Enjoy the adventure!

Question: Do you believe your rope, God, will hold you during tough times?

Related:
How Can I Experience True Love? 

Need someone to listen? We are here. Talk to us.

Those are powerful words to digest, let alone put them into practice each and every day.  However, we don’t have to do this alone.  We have the Holy Spirit as our guide and He will change our thinking if we are willing to take on the challenge.

I am reminded of a Saturday this spring when our area had Free Dump Day!   Things that we had collected over the year that we no longer needed were taken to the dump and left for FREE!  It was a neighbourhood reunion.  Trucks were loaded down and little cars filled to the brim ready to be emptied. What a pile!

So it is with our lives.  We have junk and clutter in our lives that we need to get rid of. They have no benefit in our lives or to those around us.  They weigh us down and take up space for good things that we need instead.  The amazing fact is that the Holy Spirit is there to help us gather it up.  This task isn’t only once a year, but daily.

The outcome is positive.  It is our total make-over!  The caution flag should be how we collect our thought patterns, addicting habits, ungodly chatter, and work patterns.  It is time to take stock of what we need to gather up and take to the dump.

God took the time to uniquely create us as His own and we can please Him by working on becoming holy.  I am humbled and grateful that this is a work in progress.  I will make my yearly trips to Free Dump Day in our neighbourhood, but I can guarantee you, I will be taking frequent checks on my life to get rid of those items of trash in my life that are not God-honoring.

Paul wrote in Colossians 3: 7-10 (CEV), “but now you must stop doing such things.  You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil.  You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others.  And stop lying to each other.  You have given up your old way of life with its habits.” I am sure you will agree this is not new.  We all struggle with life’s issues.  God knew it and He gave us the solution….The Holy Spirit.

After our truck was emptied that Saturday, it was lighter and so was the house!!!  How much more will we feel when we can dump the junk of our spiritual lives for the process of being holy?

What is holding you down?  What junk do you need to get rid of? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you load it up and throw it out!  He is just a prayer away.  What an exciting journey this can become for us if we but take the first step. Are you ready for your adventure to happen?

Holy Spirit, thank you that You are willing to change my way of thinking and help me in the process toward being renewed.  Help me today to consciously decide to take this new challenge. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP: Spiritual breathing will change your life

Questions: What is holding you down?  What junk do you need to get rid of?

Need someone to listen? We are here. Talk to us.

Do you see yourself as being self-motivated? What motivates you in your game? In life?

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