Wow... this was deffinetly THE MOST AMAZING year by far!!
It started off with an hour show of fireworks, celebration for what was to come, but for me also a farewell of a part of my life that was difficult to let go. I didn't think that it would be forever and it was also not just a part if I look back now.
I went on a journey of lifetime thinking that I was going to change people's lives, do something for God... change the world... I counted up the cost and He was worth leaving everything behind for. My loved ones, my home, my language, my culture, my education, my comfort...
And on this journey around the world, having been in 20 countries in this year I DID experience "ALL THAT". People taking first steps into the Kingdom, a drug adict being set free from captivity and welcomed into God's family. A girl being set free from prostitution. A girl saved just before she took her own life. A little 10 year old boy repenting and crying out to God for salvation. A lady that was blind saw again. We got to e perience God setti g free a friend from demonic captivity...God even spoke to us through earthquakes and thunderstorms. We walked through the Amazon jungle to share the gospel with tribes. We shared with people high up in the ANDES mountains. We got to learn new language in order to share God's Word with His beloved nations. We saw God protect us and hide us as we got caught up in riots. We experienced Him make a way when there was no way.. the list goes on.
In a way I guess this is what I was journying for... you know, seeing is believing in THIS LIFE... being part of mirracles, the supernatural. We are all just looking for something greater aren't we?
What I'm probably most greatful for of the entire jorurney is that God exploded my life.. who I was. That He took away THIS LIFE that I was living where conforming to worldly standerds was my daily bread.. He showed me HIS LIFE and my part in it which according to he WOrD is the ONLY life, where believing is seeing and where mirracles and signs and wonders becomes a part of faily living, not a focus point and where ALL THAT points to Jesus, drags you down down to your knees and leads you into intimacy with your Creator.
The most difficult thing of this entire year was that God gave me a mirror to hold and showed me, ME. The mirror is deffinetly he hardest thing to hold when the reflection you see is You and not Jesus. But it was also one of the most powerful things that happened in my journey with God. Becoming aware of the true state of my heart. When I became volnarable about myself I started seeing Jesus.. Then only could I tust and that whatever Jesus lived for, whoever He was, whatever Jesus died for and whatever lifted Him out of death into life was REAL.
It was'nt just a story that I had believed anymore but a reality that I experienced coming alive inside of me. It turned my focus away from seeing people faling on their faces in front of God, but established me in my faith, having my heart made strong but ny knees weak so that I can fall on my knees and rejoice that I am set free of myself.
I was never me going to do something for God beacause He can not be please by our motives... It was always in His plan to do somehing for me.
2013 was never a year that I gave to God to use me. I was a year gifted by Him to teach me how to use everything He gave me.
I don 't live a changed life, but an EXCHANGED life!