"By Whom the doubting are made sure..." (support update)

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself." - Matthew 6: 34

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:21

Yes, I have quoted Matthew 6 a lot.  Why?  Would you like to know probably one of the greatest, or let's say most frequent sins I would say I commit... worry, anxiety, and wanting to be in control of my own "destiny" so to speak.  Therefore, I am very thankful the Lord decided He wanted me to take the RUF internship journey.  I've learned a great deal about trusting, letting go, and I have begun to see the ridiculousness of my anxiety.

Have you taken the Myers-Briggs?  It's a fun thing... I am an INFJ... but that's a bit beside the point.  I want to hone in on the J dichotomy.  I am J to a T.  What is a J you ask?

like to make decisions, or at least like to have things decided

structured • decided • organized • scheduled

Ok, I'm not that organized... but I like schedules, I like answers, I like plans, and I like to know what is going on at all times.
(btw, I do not really define myself by this test... but I think it gives a good little insight to the way the Lord has wired me)

That's a challenge when I had no control over what school I would go to, who I would be working with, or where my support would come from... not knowing when I will be moving to campus, etc.

See, I have a fear of things being out of control... my idol is control/security... and I am glad that the Lord has decided to break me of that... or at least begin to.

“You don’t realize Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.”

- Timothy Keller

Ya'll, all I've got is Jesus.  And He's enough.

However, the Lord did abundantly bless me with my placing.

Well... I came back from training in June prepared for raising support.  I made my chart... I used a ruler and everything, probably made a few copies till it was just perfect.  I had a name for each individual amount I needed to raise.  I though, aha, I got this covered.  I was a little nervous to start making the calls, but not too bad, because I was in control.  Well, I made my first few calls and I got... We already support others so much... We can't support you right now... Voicemail (Never returned).  And fear crept in... thinking, Lord, this is yours or its not happening.  (And I had thought I already believed that... ha.)  He was breaking me.

"'The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.' - Psalm 84:11... And so my heart was at rest. I was satisfied with God. And all this springs, as I have often said before, from taking God at his word, believing what he says." - George Mueller

The LORD gives grace.  No person, no method, nothing but Him.

And the Lord is our shield.  A shield does not stand outside of the battle, but goes with you into the battle to keep you from destruction.  So often the sufferings, the waiting, the longing are our shield, they are our protector because they are teaching us to trust Him, our Shield more.

"Making us like Jesus was God’s plan from the beginning. God ‘predestined’ or planned for us to be like his Son (Romans 8:29). Before God even made the world, his plan for you and me was to make us like Jesus. And everything that happens to us is part of that plan.”

- Tim Chester

Well, I did believe the Lord called me to this ministry through assessing strengths, life experiences, counsel from those much wiser than myself, and His Word.  So, I decided, Lord, I give up... and if this is what you have called me to do, then you will provide.

Ya'll, he has.  He has provided in SO many ways... and it has nothing to do with what I have done or who I am but all by the gracious working of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today, I supposedly have raised $17,367 and have another promised amount on the way.

Therefore I have approximately $5,000 left to raise to move to campus... meaning I am at around 70%.  

If you had asked me on that day after returning from training and began making phone calls if I believed God would have provided this amount of money by this date, I probably would not have said that I did.  Fortunately, we were assigned to read the book of Mark during the month of June.

"Jesus looked at them and said, With man it is impossible, but not with God.  For all things are possible with God." - Mark 10:27

That's all I could trust in.  Today I received a good reminder from a friend about God's blessings... 

"In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory." - Ephesians 1:11-12

Am I trusting in the blessing or the blesser?  The creation or the Creator?  I am blessed by Him through the things He gives me... but it is not the thing that He provides.  It is all for His glory and to know Him more and glory in Him more.  Funny, but there is a line from a song by one of my favorite band's Mumford and Sons that says...

"This city breathes the plague of loving things more than the creator"  

I couldn't have said it better myself.

"For He Himself is our peace..." - Ephesians 2:14

So, prayer, please...

• Pray for the final 15% to come in, preferably within the next two weeks.
• Pray that I would trust in and take joy in the Creator rather than the created thing.
• Pray that the Lord would be preparing my heart in specific ways to form relationships with the students I will be getting to know at Wake Forest.
• Pray that I would take joy in Him today in Scottsboro, AL with my family... and not grow restless, seeing that I will not have the opportunity to have this summer again.

If there is any way that I can pray for you, please let me know.  I want to know your stories, too.

If you would like to contribute to the fund, click here...

Donate to Wake Forest RUF

or mail a check with my name on it to 

1700 N Brown Rd. Suite 104

Lawrenceville, GA

30043

And I am doing all of this because...

"Without the Gospel everything is useless and vain;

But by the knowledge of the Gospel we are made

children of God,

brothers of Jesus Christ,

fellow townsmen with the saints,

citizens of the kingdom of heaven,

heirs of God with Jesus Christ,

by whom

the poor are made rich,

the weak strong,

the fools wise,

the sinner justified,

the desolate comforted,

the doubting sure,

the slaves free."

- John Calvin