It has been just over a month since I finalized this website and began reaching out to my family, my friends, and my community for support for my Summer Project. I am amazed by what God has done in just this month. He has brought in half of the cost for my summer mission trip and even given me a glimpse of what awaits me this summer! Thank you to everyone who has contributed with prayers and/or financial support!
This past week I was down in Panama City Beach with Cru for the Christian Conference Big-Break! I spent the entire week in a huge Christian community and was continually challenged to live out my faith. At the beginning of the week, I wrestled with my idea of giving up control to God. I was looking forward to the week at PCB so much that I put restrictions on how much control I wanted to give up. I started saying things like “I am really excited to see what God will do this week….but I really just want to make sure I get a room in the towers”, “I really hope the room has wifi I can use” and even “I really hope I get to see someone accept Christ into their life”. I really wanted to stay in the resort towers with 5 of my close friends and when we discovered that our school would be in the villas where the rooms were only able to hold 4 people, I became discouraged. I was rooming with one guy from the 5 in the original room we planned and 2 other guys whom I had never met. I fought with God at the beginning because of my want for control. As the week progressed I gave up my desire to control my time during the conference. I knew there was nothing I could do to change what God had planned and I realized that I should not try to change His plan, as His plan is way better than mine. As I gave over my control, I started getting more out of the week and grew even closer to God.
This week was such a great eye opener for me as I got to see first handed how I try to retain control even when I say I give full control to God. It gave me the ability to struggle and fix what I was doing in order to fully give Him control. It was so great to see this happen and for me to break my want for control before going on the summer mission trip. Giving up control of my life this summer will certainly not be easy, but I’ve never heard anyone say following God’s will would be easy. As it gets closer and closer I am more and more excited to take this leap to Chicago and see the plan God has waiting for me!
