Why "Go"?

For those of you wondering, I suppose I should explain why I started this blog in the first place and just what "GO" is all about. I'm not sure where to begin, so I suppose a little background is in order.

About seven or eight months ago my mom went to Africa for eight weeks. She had been before with a team, but this time she went by herself. She wasn't sure exactly what God had for her on that trip, but her heart has always been toward the orphan. Through the letters and emails she sent we began to understand why God says "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27. We began to get a glimpse of the incredible pain and suffering that is so prevalent in Africa. Our hearts were broken and we began to pray and ask God what we could do. His answer was simple, "adopt" just as God had done with us. He was asking us to take his children, who happened to be born in another part of the world, into our family, to be our children. We had never really considered this before, but through much prayer and God being so confirming we knew this was his answer.

The decision to listen and obey him in this not-so-small area of our lives has enabled me to see that God does have great plans for my life if am just willing. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.

I began to seek His will for my life more and more. I couldn't shake the feeling that God had more for me to do in Africa than just adopt. I wanted nothing more than to be doing His will, but what was it? I couldn't get enough of God and His word. As my relationship with Him grew, I was starting to realize how little of my life I had really given over to him even though I'd known Him most of my life. I was really trying to give Him every part of my life now, but I still found it difficult at times, particularly at work. I struggled to be a light in a dark world.

Fast forward a few months. Shauna was reading a post from one of the amazing blogs that she follows. She (the blogger) was talking about how she quite frequently hears from God and that it is very clear. I had heard from God in my own life, but not as clearly or as often as she was talking about. I decided to pray in faith and ask God to give me a word. Immediately He answered... "GO". That was it. My first reaction was "hmm... that doesn't make sense, I must be making things up. 'GO' doesn't mean anything, does it?" I decided to look up the word in the concordance of my Bible. Out of the many many references a verse instantly jumped out at me. "But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only." Psalm 71:14-16. What an incredible word. What an incredible verse. What an incredible God! I knew that God had indeed spoken. I now had those verses to stand on as I went to work every day. I thanked God for his perfect timing. Little did I know how far that word would take me.

A few weeks later I was looking on the internet and found the home page of a church in Colorado. The pastor of the church just happens to be the husband of the woman who's blog inspired me to ask God for that word. Right there on the front page of their website, in huge bold green letters, was one word... "GO". In the background was the picture of the flag of Ug*nda, Africa. I was stunned. God was again answering, giving me a little more direction in my life. "Go to Ug*nda." I soon found out that not only was this church planning a trip to go and serve there, but they were opening up a few spots to people following their blog. God is so good. He always has a plan.

Now here we are, 25 days until I get to GO. Needless to day I am ecstatic. I can't wait to see what God has in store.

There are SO many more details where God has confirmed and provided, like when I told our church missions board and they wanted to give $300 toward the cost of the trip, which happened to be the amount I needed to send in that week. Or the fact that I had been saving up my vacation at work and when I found out I was going to get to go, I had exactly 9 hours more vacation saved up than I would need. There's also the incredible generosity that has been shown by the people locally in giving so much to be donated to the kids we are going to be serving. I could go on and on about so many ways my God provides and answers when I just ask.