As far as my eyes can see......

For so long now I’ve honestly been scared that God would call me to the mission field after Bill and I retired.  Doesn’t that sound so crazy?  This coming from the one that absolutely loves adventure, traveling and meeting people.

 

So why wouldn’t I want to go into the mission field?  The reason is that I enjoy so much of what surrounds me right here where I am at including our home, our small town, and our church home.  I become content and comfortable fairly easily.  I very seldom go shopping or desire to change things in my home or my wardrobe.  Yet if someone decides to bless me, I don’t care how big or how small, I am absolutely overjoyed to be the receiver as I get the biggest kick out of blessing others. 

 

I hope you can sense from the past several Higher Grounds that God is really doing a number inside of my heart.  I’ve been spending good quality time with Him and He is showing me where my thinking has been wrong in many different areas and this includes the mission field.  As I seek to place Him first in my daily life and converse with Him through out my day I am learning so much.  I pray that I will not be found loosing my zeal to learn and grow.   That my heart will never get to the point that it stops loving Jesus and others. 

 

In this life we simply get hurt.  We just do!  Often times this causes people to become hardened and secluding themselves is not the answer.  My sweet friend, Becky has shared something with me several times this summer and it really means so much.  “You have to put your heart out there to love – some people will trample it but if we aren’t vulnerable we’ll loose out.”  TRUE TRUE TRUE!  So I’m choosing to put my heart out there because I really don’t want to loose out!

 

God is equipping me to be a missionary right here in my own back yard! 

 

1. By being a woman that desires to fear God and love my Man like there is no tomorrow
2. To be available to our children and grandchildren
3. Working with our youth group
4. Attending Super Summer
5. To be a light to my little Tiger Friend
6. Mentoring
7. Opening our home to others
8. Reconnecting with friends
9. Writing Higher Grounds and the testimony of what God is doing in my life currently
10. Becoming better at helping others, quick to assist anyone in need, showing no favoritism

 

Please, this is to not be used as a comparison, legalism, or look at her, or that I am bragging, as it is not!  I have so far to go and I really want to stretch not only myself but perhaps you, my friend and reader as well.  How about you?  Have you been allowing God to use you, right where you are at?  This has been on my mind for quite some time and awhile back I walked into church one morning and found this on our platform and I felt like God was confirming to me that I had no need of fearing the Mission Field.  He had my back, and He wasn’t calling me to India, Africa, South America, but He was calling me to right here where I’m at as far as my eyes can see!

 

Heavenly Father, Your love amazes me!  You always know how to get my attention and how to guide me ever so gently into Your truth and what You have for me and my life in my current season.  Lord, may I be quick to assist those that are in need.  May I not be found just sitting on my duff, but instead praying, getting my hands a tad dirty and my heart filled because I was willing to be Your servant.  I love You Lord Jesus and may I love Your people!

 

Stepping up to the plate with J.O.Y. (Jesus, Others, Yourself),

Yolanda