Belize Part 3- Listen and Obey

After that experience that I shared yesterday, I dismissed the trips to Belize, knowing I wasn't going to be able to go. I began my summer classes and tried to put Belize out of my mind. A few weeks ago, I had gone up to the church camp for an evening and in the middle of chapel, my youth pastor came up to me and asked if I might want to change my mind about going for the second trip this summer-something I had never really considered. I had found out that I only had to take summer classes for the first summer session, which left that week in August open. I told him I would pray about it and let him know.

I spent that entire weekend praying about it and the next week I still didn't really feel a clear answer. The day before I had to tell Tim whether or not I could go, I spent 3 hours in my room, praying, fasting and reading my Bible. (I'm pretty sure that's longest period of time I've ever spent just praying!) All the things I came across in my Bible pointed to the phrase "follow me". I prayed and told God I was willing to follow, just show me where! I'm learning that God often wants us to follow without knowing where we're going-which is a really hard concept for me! I like to have everything planned out. But after praying some more and talking to both of my parents I really felt like God was allowing me to go.

As I was praying that day I began to realize some of the things that I shared the first day...how selfish I had been before on my trip. And the more I continued praying and examining myself and my motives I realized that my motives really are right this time: I want to go to be able to do what I could have done last time if I had been paying attention to God. I want to be able to reach people! I want the opportunity to share my faith-as much as that idea intimidates me! I really think that's why God is allowing me to go now, when He was telling me no before - because if I had gone in the beginning of July, it would have been with the wrong motives and God wouldn't have been able to accomplish the things through me that He can now if I keep my eyes on Him.

So, even though I had no money for this trip, I took a step of faith, trusting that God would provide the money and texted my youth pastor and told him I would go. Throughout this whole decision making process I never really considered the money when I prayed about it-I knew that if God wanted me to go, He would provide the funds for it. And He did!!! In miraculous ways!



**I would like to add a blogger's note here: I would never want anyone to look at this story I'm sharing and see anything that I've done - God gets ALL the glory!!!!