I kind of touched on this subject in my first post, but I’ll try to flesh it out a little more here.
I originally applied to do AIM’s World Race, and I was interested in that because I was tired of being comfortable. Since I graduated from college, I’ve been desperately trying to figure out what God wants from my life. Over the last 8 months, I have gotten more and more frustrated because He just doesn’t seem to be providing answers. As I read through some of the World Racer’s blogs, I suddenly realized that my frustration was totally unfounded. God’s been giving me answers, I just haven’t been listening (or I haven’t wanted to hear them). I’ve become so self-focused– worried about MY time, MY money, MY life. But it’s HIS time, HIS money, and my life belongs to HIM. I started to realize what a distraction comfort can be. Being
comfortable can lead to complacency and complacency takes my focus off
of God. So if I want to be focused on God, I probably need to be uncomfortable. What better way to be uncomfortable than to spend 11 months in 11 different countries, not knowing where I’d be sleeping or what I’d be doing? But God had other ideas.
When AIM accepted me for the FYM instead of the World Race, I was a little disappointed. But God is already showing me the possible impact this trip could have on my life. I’m still going to be uncomfortable. I’m still going to have to depend on Him. And with the FYM, I will be discipled while exploring some of the areas of ministry to which I feel God has called me.
I chose England because I would have no language barrier (my dad wants to know if they’ll teach me a British accent during training) to hinder my ability to build relationships. Discipling relationships have been a major factor in my spiritual growth, and God has allowed me the opportunity to disciple younger women as well. I chose England because the youth there are in desperate need of relationships that will point them to Christ. The church there is dying (almost literally) as congregations shrink to include only the older generations; they don’t have the energy or resources to connect with and impact the next generation for Christ. It excites me to think I could play a role bringing revival to England simply by spending a few months of my life building relationships with some youth in Salford.
Ultimately, though, I believe this trip will have a greater impact on me. God has called me to be a part of youth ministry, and even though I don’t know exactly what that is going to look like, I know this trip is just one tool He’ll use to prepare me for that. I think the US is (unfortunately) following England down the same spiritual path; unless something changes, we will also become a “post-Church” society. I can only wonder how my time in England might prepare me to better minister to the younger generations here at home.
