I think we can all agree that this pandemic time has been a weird one.
I will admit that the first few weeks I was leaning back and took the posture of “I will wait this out”. After weeks three and four passed, it became apparent this was not going to go away quickly.
God is so funny sometimes.
I don’t know if He has ever done this to you, He speaks a wonderful word and then the next day you are living in the complete opposite reality.
Right before the COVID shelter-in-place orders were given here in California in March, I was in Spain to explore a ministry opportunity. As the world was being shut down piece by piece, my leader suggested I cut my trip early and go back to the States.
I traveled home, not in defeat, but rather on a ministry high.
I had received confirmation from God.
“YES! This is where I am calling you! Go after it!”
Except, when I arrived home on March 13th, travel was halted, and the shelter-in-place orders began to unfold, the word God gave me did not line up with my reality.
When God speaks and our realities don’t match, this doesn’t mean God got it wrong. God knew what He was doing, He always does, and in the midst of confusing circumstances, God wants me to know the truth.
The truth that I am called to go and be a missionary.
I am meant to go to Spain.
I am meant to prepare to go.
I don’t know what God has spoken to you, but I do know He has a word for your life. Whether that looks like a vocational ministry position or something different. God has a calling on your life and your unique calling is needed in this world.
Take time to ask God for a word of your season of life.
There is something, a person, a situation, your neighborhood, your family, your city, that is special about the call on your life. God has uniquely placed you there!
Next, set up ways to remind yourself about your call.
The best way, I think, is to tell someone. Share with a friend what God has spoken and ask them to remind you when (and it’s a when not if) you forget. Also, write it down with a date. Whether by journal or sticky notes, writing it down will make it so you can return back to it.
Finally, press forward in faith.
Shortly after I decided to pursue being a missionary in Spain even though I had doubts, God spoke Matthew 21:21 to me “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.” I began to pray this over each step of my missionary process.
And you know what?
God did move the mountains.
My prayer for you today is that you would gain more clarity on your call and in faith press on towards it. My guess is that there have been some disruptions to your 2020 but this does not mean it’s not fully in alignment with what God has planned for you.
Standing in His promises,
Marissa
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The next several stories posts will be from different staff members as they explain what “Maintaining the Mission” has meant to them over the course of 2020’s forever changes. This week, read the take from MARISSA DERAYA, VP of Trips.
