“Have I not commanded
you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the
Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
The Lord acknowledges when the things he asks us to do
require courage, but he also commands us to have it. We don’t get any outs when
it comes to following Jesus. If he tells us to do something, we are supposed to
do it no matter how much courage it takes or how hard it feels from our human
perspective. Jesus does not do things the way we would do things. But we are
not gods, and thank God for that ;)
We can plan away, but the truth is that
Jesus is not going to submit to our plans. It should be the other way around. Just
because my team and I are submitting to Jesus’ plans, it does not mean that it
is easy for us to do so or that we do not need courage. I never planned to go
to Africa, but there came a point in my walk with the Lord where doing anything
but going to Africa did not make sense anymore.
It is very easy to fall prey to the belief that the need for
courage is the same thing as fear, and because fear exemplifies a lack of trust
in the Lord, we must not be good Christians if we find ourselves needing
courage to do his will. But God often commands difficult tasks. He gave his son
the most difficult task of all—a task that Jesus courageously completed. So pray for courage for me and my team to do
the will of the Lord.
Also pray for safe travels, as we fly out tomorrow night and
arrive on Sunday morning in Johannesburg after a long layover on Saturday.
You are the most courageous person I know and I am so proud of you. You make the difficult tasks that God puts before you seem easy. Maybe someday when I'm not so chicken we'll go to Africa together :D I love you, Mom
ReplyDeleteGod bless you as you serve him!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Alainna - Good luck, do wonderful work, and enjoy every minute. God Bless You. Love - Aunt Pearl
ReplyDeleteDearest Daughter,
ReplyDeleteYou are being obedient to Jesus...and you will reach many people for Him. You are strong and brave. I will miss you terribly but I am also so terribly proud of you.
Love, Dad
We can't wait to learn what awesome things you will do in the name of the Lord for the African people. Stay focused and remember to look for God even in the small things.
ReplyDeleteMr. and Mrs. Slack
All I can say is "Wow!" It is SO encouraging to see the next generation following God's call on their life! No adventure in the world is more exciting than the one He has for you! May your light shine brightly and draw others to our Father:) Mrs. Pilch
ReplyDeleteI will continue to pray for you and your team as continue God's work throughout your time in Africa!
ReplyDelete