Living with a Mission

Life is not about me. Life on this earth is one breath of air. Life after earth goes on forever. Life is all about Jesus. Life is a gift. Life is only alive if it's being lived.

If I have no idea how long I'll have this life on earth, why wouldn't I seize every opportunity everyday alongside Jesus in everything I do?

Here's what God is teaching me: Every day is a mission trip. 

Here's why: Hurting people are everywhere. 

I could be in Africa, Tipp City Ohio, a circle K gas station, trying on clothes in Target, Oklahoma, at work for 17 hours, making dinner for friends, a Tennessee Subway, or walking down the street giving flowers to strangers, and my mission never changes.

As long as my perspective remains, the circumstance does not matter.

I exist to give hope and reflect the One whom I love: Jesus.

As I walk with Christ and His power to do the impossible lives in my heart, it would only make sense to chase the impossible and pursue the hurting and broken people to my left and to my right.

His endless pursuit of my heart is the driving force behind my mission. As I'm captivated by His love, I'm pushed to pursue the hurting and give them the hope He whispers to me every single moment of the day.

Fire, FAITH, and Names that are really hard to pronounce

      I've been reading through Daniel and something hit me different this time through the story of the fiery furnace. In chapter 3 when King Nebuchadnezzar threatens to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace of FIRE if they refuse to just simply bow down and worship him, their response blew my mind:

Read the story for yourself but this is basically what they say:
--- God is ABLE to save us
--- God WILL RESCUE us from your power
--- Even if God decides not to rescue us, we will STILL worship Him and not anyone/anything else

Okay, seriously? I tried to put myself in their shoes and if ALL I had to do was get down on one knee for a minute to save myself from being burnt alive, I'm pretty sure I'd be tempted to go with that option. But without hesitation their immediate response was FAITH. 

Our God is able, He is willing, He rescues, and we will WORSHIP Him alone until death. 

As the story goes, of course they are thrown into the fire and God DOES save them and bring them out untouched and unharmed without a singe of hair barbequed. As if that's not awesome enough, the Kings' response is even cooler:

He PRAISES God, he acknowledges the faith of the 3 men, he declares God as the only real God, and He says this:
"There is no other god who can rescue like this!"

What a beautiful story.

We serve a God who rescues like no other. If He can rescue 3 men from being burnt alive by order of the King, then He can rescue you from a broken heart, a bad relationship, a prison of sin, worry and fear, and any danger before you.

What fire is God asking you to walk into? Maybe if we would respond like those 3 men of faith and say: I'll still go, God You're able, You will rescue, and we will worship you until death... maybe THAT'S exactly how God wants us to make Him famous. Maybe if you can face the world with that mindset, people will respond the same way the King did...
PRAISE GOD! THAT is faith. God is real. Nobody else can rescue like that. Glory to God.

"Hannah, those are your children."

I'm not one to immediately accept a person's claim that God spoke to them. But I had an experience that flipped my perspective around. . .

I was getting ready for work on the couch with a hand mirror putting on some eyeliner. I had my laptop open with a Francis Chan message playing in the background. For some reason, I zoned in with full attention when he started to talk about injustices across the globe.

He brought up sex trafficking and the evil it is in the world. He said we need to stop sugar-coating it and start calling it what it really is: "Little children being raped over and over again repeatedly".

My world stopped with that phrase. A clear voice hit my heart with huge force that said: "Hannah, those are your children."

I lost it.           I fell to the ground.        I knelt.           I sobbed.
I sobbed so hard and loud and long into that scratchy carpet.

I couldn't handle that. I could not handle that MY children were being treated SO wrong-- that they were hurting SO bad and needing SO much love and I was across the ocean not being able to give it to them.

I rejoice that we serve a God who is capable to hold their hearts close to His and keep them safe until I can sweep them up and kiss their cheeks with love and dance their souls to freedom.

Someday soon, I'll get to write a blog with their names included. I'll know what their favorite colors are and the best way to make them smile. I'll be able to recognize them by their laughter and will tell them that on March 15th in a little living room, God told me that they were mine.

The Day I Almost Quit my Future

As every day kept passing and I kept meeting more and more people who had been to Uganda, were going to Uganda, or had connections to Uganda, I still had no idea how I'd get there.

It was quite unsettling and frustrating. Because people kinda thought I was crazy. And because I knew I was going somehow, just not HOW.

Learned a lot of patience in that time period. Yes, His timing is always perfect. And funny. Sometimes hilarious.

I decided I had to quit my job as a barista at Overall Company to find something that paid more to try and get my school loan paid off. I hated the idea because I'd met so many amazing people through my job; not to mention I really enjoy making feathers on lattes for people on coffee dates. April 1st was the day I was scheduled to stop being scheduled.

But something wasn't right. I literally felt sick about it. It made absolute sense for me to quit and everyone told me it was the right thing to do and not to worry about it. I thought I had convinced myself it was right too, but in the back of my mind, it felt so wrong.

I had already gotten another job and was on my way to train for it when I decided to stop by Overall Co. for some random reason. Long story short, I ended up making a real quick decision against everyone's opinion and staying there and quitting my other job I'd had for two days. (If you know me well, you're laughing at my skill to quit jobs quickly if they don't feel right.)

So I kept the job at Overall Co. and ditched the other one where I'd make more money. Then God provided. On a run amongst lots of green grass and red dirt, my friend gave me a call and said she basically just got me a job as a waitress at a delicious restaurant called Island Wing Company. I could write a whole other blog just about how much God's blessed me there. But anyway, now I had two part time jobs and PEACE about them both.

So anyway, April 1st came around, the day I should've NOT been at Overall Co. I met a new co-worker that day named Kristin. We got to talking and before I know it, she's telling me all about how she has been to Uganda, met Katie Davis (author of Kisses from Katie... inspired many of my dreams) and been to her home, and has endless connections for me to work in Uganda.

Real quick I realized what that sick feeling in my stomach was when I quit.. It was God keeping His plan in motion. I'm now going to Uganda with the Williams family who are already down there doing amazing things for the Kingdom. I wouldn't have been connected with them had I not met Kristin that day. I wouldn't have met her unless I didn't quit Overall Co. And I wouldn't have decided to stay unless I followed the Spirit's conviction rather than everyone's opinion to leave.

Good thing I can't mess up God's plan. No matter how much I try to do my own thing, no matter how much I think I know best, He somehow always directs my steps into HIS PERFECT PATH. 

God is good and so extremely real. I can see Him and His work everywhere He takes me. He's got this. He's got you. Trust Him.