One encounter is all it takes...

As you know based on last month's blog, trusting God has been something I've been working on. It has not been the easiest road, but yesterday at church I had so much breakthrough, and I want to share that story with you today.

The beginning of January was wonderful for me, I had a schedule, and I stuck to it. (y'all don't even know how much of an achievement that is for me lol) I read my bible every day, which over all helped my attitude, It was going really smoothly for me.

Then something started going wrong with someone, and It started to affect the way that I was viewing everything and the way I handled myself. For some reason, this little issue made it so I started getting off my schedule, I stopped reading my bible, and I became less productive with my time. I was just really frustrated, and I let this little thing get to me.

My focus became more bent toward someone else, rather than on God. And let me tell you, when your focus isn't on God, bruh, the anxiety is real.

And on top of all of this, the weight of my future planning was placed heavily on my shoulders, and the combination of both frustration and fear left me feeling low key like a failure.

I went to church yesterday morning, completely stressed out, feeling anxious, and my thoughts were not on God. When worship started I told God that I wanted just to focus on Him, and not let anything else distract me. DUDE. It worked. I'm not sure I remember a time where I have felt God's presence so thick in any room. It was wonderful, and I honestly didn't want to leave that place.

As I was worshiping I heard God say to me so clearly,

"You CAN trust me." And I just started to break down and cry right then and there.

All the anxiety and frustration just floated off of my back, and I just felt the trustworthiness of God all around me. My need to "people please" just went out the window as I realized the goal of my life shouldn't be to make everyone else happy, but to make God happy. My focus was redirected.

God did the work that needed to be done in me! I think it's amazing how I can be working on something for so long, and all it took to be finished with, was one encounter with God. It just really goes to show that he is bigger and that he is always the solution. GOD IS SO GOOD!

But that's not where the breakthrough stopped. He also gave me direction for my life, which I needed so deeply!

Since I was about seven years old, my heart has always been for missions. But around the age of thirteen, I let that passion go because I was just so scared that God would actually send me and I would have to give up everything. (It sounds terrible I know, but it's just true.)

Yesterday in worship He just took me back to when I was seven again, and the same passion overtook my whole body. It was wild. I had so much confirmation, and I know now that God has placed my heart in the mission field.

All I could hear in the back of my mind was, "If I don't live my life for God, what is there to live for?" And that phrase is really my driving force behind this decision.

At the end of the day, my main focus is that I say yes to God's plans for my life. What living for God looks like to me, is loving on everyone and bringing them to God through example. And I know I can do that best through missions.

And here's the honest truth. I feel terrified, full-on freaked out. But I know that I can trust God and that he won't lead me down this path and then desert me.

I just want to encourage you to go after the things that God has placed on your heart! If there has been something on your heart for a SUPER long time, don't ignore it, and just ask God if it is something he wants to bring back inside of you.

It is ok to be afraid but just do it anyway. Do it scared. I just want to bless you as you dream, and as you go after the things he has called you into. Because if you don't live your life for him, what else is there to live for?

So, this week I want to challenge you to ask yourself this question: What does living for God look like for me? And just see where he takes that! And just remember, you are one encounter away from being set free just like I was yesterday...he wants to do it in you, and all he needs is an invitation.

Thank you so much for reading, I would love to hear any comments/questions you may have, so feel free to contact me and make sure you subscribe to my blog for more content.