Events in my life are constantly changing, being edited, and put on hold. Sometimes these events get picked back up or in other cases they get dropped all together. I have walked into a place of unknowns, a season of being okay with the next assignment the Lord desires for me to do. My answer to pretty much everyone in any case is, “I don’t know.” It’s not my fault or anyone in particular’s fault, it’s just a place that the Lord has me in life.
Although this can feel quite exhausting at times, I remember what strength the Lord has given me to use everyday. The strength of Adaptability. On a pretty consistent basis there is a new task given to me, either short or long. I’m given a choice to live out this task pessimistically or to find the joy in it. Having identified my strength of adaptability it gives me a new purpose in seeking out how I go about the decisions I have to make in life.
When living and working in a new atmosphere, I go to the Lord and ask for guidance on how to adapt well, while bringing my spiritual gifts into the equation. Not only does this allow me to connect to others well, it allows me to bring to the table the ways in which the Spirit has uniquely gifted me and to live joyously. My strongest gifting is Missionary, which is the gift the Spirit has given me to use my other spiritual gifts in a second culture. I might not be in a literal second culture, but being at Adventures in Missions as well in a new environment is for now God’s second culture for me. My other strong spiritual gifts are Service, Knowledge, Hospitality, Teaching, and Giving. I seek out the Lord in prayer asking Him to reveal to me how I can use these in my everyday life with the people I surround myself with. How can I serve those around me? Is there a way in which the Lord can allow me to speak life into an individual?
There is a danger in adaptability. It’s the danger of having adapted so well to the point where I’m comfortable and not growing. Comfort comes when there is no change, and without change how does anyone ever expect to grow? God keeps moving me and putting me in places of discomfort and new places that I have no grasp in. He puts me outside my comfort zone on a pretty consistent basis. I wouldn’t say that I’m always happy with Him in certain seasons, however I’m very thankful that He loves me so much that He desires to see me grow even more than where I’m at. My prayer is that He never allows me to adapt to the point that I’m not seeking Him and what’s next.
I don’t think the Lord will ever stop calling me out into a place of discomfort. The mission and calling He has set upon me is to not just live in one place in the Philippines, it’s to be moving all over the Philippines, for there to be change. Because what comes from the change? Growth!! Without there being change in the Philippines, women won’t be saved, Bella Goose won’t grow, Wipe Every Tear won’t expand, Adventures in Missions won’t be sending out more missionaries. We need to be able to see this in a good light, and maybe something might change within a day, maybe it’ll stay the same for a year before the Lord seeks the next step in growth. The answer is unknown, but we know that the Lord is always faithful to us and we can trust His plan is the right plan at the right time.
How do I seek comfort in the Lord when all else is uncomfortable and unknown?
Because the Lord will bless me and keep me, He will make His face to shine upon me and to be gracious unto me, He will lift up His countenance upon and give me peace.
Such an amazing promise!
