Protecting My Yes

At training camp, we were taught about our yes. I said yes to coming on the World Race.  However, when I said yes to the World Race, was I saying yes to what I thought the World Race would be or to God?

Adventures in Missions gave us the example of the time during Covid when squads thought they would be going out to different countries, nevertheless, they ended up staying in the States. Was their yes to traveling the world or to God? It wasn’t what they thought they signed up for but do we ever really know what God has in store?

The World Race has been difficult for me. It’s been much different than I thought it would be. There have been a lot of curve balls thrown at me. And again the question was asked what was my yes to, my expectations or to God?

While in Turkey we were taught about protecting our ‘yes’. It was such a good lesson on how we look at Christianity when it comes to the ‘rules.’ It’s not all about what not to do but all about what you can do.

If you choose Christianity you are saying yes, yet with that, you are also saying no. When you say yes to Christ you are saying no to your addictions. You are saying no to lust which means you are saying yes to love. You are saying no to your will and yes to God’s. However, if you focus on the nos you miss out on the yeses. You are protecting your yes by saying no.

When I said yes to this trip I was saying no to all the things that I couldn’t be a part of this year. I didn’t realize at the time all that I was saying no to.

During my time away the camp that I call home dramatically changed its staff. I wasn’t there to mourn and grieve with my friends about all the changes happening. I missed Christmas with my family. My friend moved and I couldn’t be there to help her pack up her home and move her to a different one. My sister got pregnant and I couldn’t fetch her food cravings or come over when she couldn’t sleep at night. My grandmother passed away and I couldn’t be there to be with my family.  My best friend decided to work at camp this summer, which meant the time I was away I couldn’t live in community with her. One of my dear friends got married. I wasn’t there to meet her fiancé or give her a bachelorette party. Another friend is moving far away and I won’t see her before I get back home.

In all these things I missed out on, I missed being there for my friends and family. I want to mourn with them, rejoice with them, and let them know they aren’t alone. I want to support them. Yet with saying no to all these things I was able to say yes to so many others.

I’ve been reaffirmed in the great commission. I’ve been taught about how to bring people into conversations to simply share Christ with them. I’ve learned about the Islamic faith in hopes of bringing them to the truth. I know what living in God’s kingdom means, understanding the urgency of telling people about Christ.

My relationship with the Lord was redeemed as I can now listen and hear the voice of the Lord again. My faith is becoming more steadfast as I base it on my God instead of my theology. I believe even more in God working through healings, prophecy, words of knowledge, discernment, miracles, kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues. I can now access my prayer language. I instigated conversations that started with and led to the Lord. I was able to preach a sermon without any preparation except relying on the Lord. I made a demon flee in the name of Jesus as I took authority and prayed for a young man. I read scripture aloud to make the demonic realm silent.

There is so much more I have engaged with while saying yes to this adventure. It’s definitely been hard and it hurts to know everything I missed back home but my yes is here.