As some of my friends know, as recently as one week ago, my fundraising was doing extremely poorly. I had not bought my plane ticket, I had no one to sublet from me at my apartment at school, I had less than half of my funds raised, and my family could not afford to support or cover me. In the back of my mind (and in the forefront of some of my prayers) was the question: "should I really be going on this trip?" Was God telling me that He did not want me to go? Would it be better for my family if I stayed at home? Should I stay in Delaware and work for the Summer?
In response to these questions, I felt convicted to ask myself: "Is that putting my life and my family members' lives above the lives and souls of so many others?" Am I comparing my temporary physical needs to others' eternal spiritual needs? Am I being selfish? Am I lacking trust in His power? I decided time would tell what God's will really was.
Last Sunday, I went to my last True Life Church service before leaving for the Summer. We had been studying the Book of James, and that week, we were studying James 2:14-26. The focus was really on verse 17: "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:17 and the surrounding passage is often used to support the belief that salvation is earned through works, contrary to other parts of the Bible like Ephesians 2:8-9, which says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast." But instead, my pastor focused on the faith that carries us to day to day, not the eternal faith we have that Jesus died and rose again for us to know Him. My pastor focused on the actions we take to obey God and love others. He spoke about how we can have an active faith, one that takes real risks and trusts God. If we truly have faith and trust in Him, we are willing to perform those seemingly impossible works.
This sermon, for the first time, hit my heart right in the bullseye. Some of my friends always say that the messages they hear on Sunday are so perfectly timed to help them through their immediate struggles. I had just been thinking the prior night how that never seems to happen to me. But God is always faithful (a lesson I constantly need to be reminded of). I decided that I would take a risk and do whatever it would take to go. If God decided to close the door, so be it. But if I did not go, it would not be caused by my lack of effort or faith.
Just a few days later, I decided to finally buy my plane tickets (less than two weeks before the planned departure). I knew that ticket prices always skyrocket as you get closer to the date of your departure, but I was shocked when I looked at the schedule on my computer screen. Since scoping out the prices three months ago, the price had actually dropped by $500. How unexpected is that?! What an incredible blessing! Two days after I bought my ticket, I found out that I was fully funded. Allow me to say that again. Only four days after my re-commitment to go to Argentina, God provided full funding in unpredictable ways. (Shout-out to Ogletown Baptist Church's young adults group whose members were so quick to support me financially for this trip!) I feel that God has provided for me more than just tangibly, but also spiritually. I feel reaffirmed in my calling to go to Argentina this Summer. I know that God has big plans in store for this Summer, and I'm excited to be shocked again by His unpredictable nature.
1 Corinthians 2:9 "However, as it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived' -- the things God has prepared for those who love him--"
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