When we give God our lives and trade in what we have, we receive much better things in return. You trade in your fear, He hands you calm. You trade in your anger, He hands you forgiveness. You trade in your plans for your life, He hands you peace...and possibly much more! I have something I am holding in my hand and God is asking me for a trade.
In the last few months, God has asked Dennis and I to make yet another change in our lives. God is asking me for my comfort. I have a comfortable life. I enjoy living in Michigan (at least during our short summer!) Our family is close enough to us that we can enjoy time with them. We have an amazing church full of beautiful people. I have friends to hang out and laugh with. I have fun driving my little Volkswagen Beetle convertible - especially during the 8 weeks of summer we have here in Michigan! I am holding onto these things...but God is asking me to let it go and trade it in for what He has planned.
Some of you may already know of this new plan that has unfolded in our lives and it requires us to move. Not move down the street or to a city we are familiar with. In the last few months, our lives have been flipped around and now Dennis and I are planning to become Missionary Church Planters in...New Zealand. Yes, the country - not the city in Michigan. I know. It is a crazy thing. It is definitely nothing that we would have thought of on our own.
In January, we were approached by a friend to see if we would be interested in this idea. We both felt something that encouraged us to continue to pursue a future in New Zealand. We had meetings, we prayed, we talked to our family and trusted advisers. We could not get New Zealand out of our heads! Everything we thought about brought us back to the idea of New Zealand - God had many verses, blogs, books and sermons come into our path that showed us we were on the right track with this crazy idea. Then, at the beginning of April, we took a trip to New Zealand to meet people and see the country. It is a beautiful place - with amazing people. We felt as if we fit right in with the Pastors and leaders there (seems there are crazy people in New Zealand too!) We feel that this move is the right thing for us to do. It is hard to think of leaving our family, friends and church here. It is almost as if God is asking us if we trust Him with everything...do we trust Him that He can take care of not only us, but those we care about here?
God knows me so well. The weekend after we were first approached about the idea of moving to New Zealand, I went to church with my daughter who attends Indiana Wesleyan University. The pastor at her church stood up and began the service with the words, "are you willing to give up everything you have to follow Jesus?" He ended the service with communion. Communion is a tradition where we remember what Christ did for us on the cross. It is a moment in time to not only remember, but to take that time to give God back what we have been holding back for ourselves - to give him all of us because He gave us all of Him. That moment was very meaningful to me. Then, while we were visiting New Zealand, the first Sunday service we attended ended with communion. This is what God was asking me in that moment..."am I enough for you? will you give me what is in your hand?"
So, here we go...on a journey of a lifetime. An adventure that we never would have dreamed. Opening up my hand, trading in what I have in my hand, what I have planned for my life, for what God has planned for me...New Zealand!
If you feel lead to be a part of our adventure in New Zealand and help us reach those who are looking for God to trade in their hurts and fears, here is a link for donations - Hope New Zealand
