Hello.
This is me slowly coming out of the corner, peering around a doorframe, standing up and shaking your hand, introducing myself, stepping into the picture, opening my blog and attempting to sit down and share another piece of myself.
I’m the little girl that was gone for so long that finally just went and sat in the corner by her lonesome self, just her and her thoughts. but eventually that little girl has to get back up and face the world, in my case – face my blog.
I feel like I’ve been gone so long that it becomes a question of where do I begin? So much to say, so many pictures to put up, and oh so little time. The little girl in me isn’t scared to face this blog because of anything she’s done wrong, but because she’s been gone for so long.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve posted here and there. But it hasn’t all been quality material. I’ve been out of town so much that I’ve barely even had time to blog, but more thoughts than you can imagine are swimming around my head.
The worst part? I leave Saturday morning for a mission trip (which is awesome!) so I’ll be gone a while longer. I’m excited and ready to go, but it’s another week and a half where I won’t even have access to this place online that’s a little piece of home for me. Another week where I have more and more to say, yet I get more and more behind.
I’m praying that this mission trip will change me, though. I’m leaving everything at home here in the states. Every electronic. Computer, phone, everything. I’ll barely have a moment to myself to just sit down and think while I’m there.
‘There’ is Panama, in case you didn’t know. I’m going to Panama. Another country. Further away than I’ve ever been when it comes to outside of the U.S.
I’ve been to many places on mission trips. New York, the Bahamas, Tennessee, Jamaica, and then Jamaica again. But never some where like Panama.
I’ll be staying in the jungle for part of my time there. Living with an Indian tribe, sleeping in a hammock and praying I don’t get malaria. There are no showers or bathroom in the jungle, by the way.
Can we say I’m going outside my comfort zone? I’m going so far outside my comfort zone. I’ll be speaking/preaching while I’m there. Who knows how many people will gather around to hear my testimony, but I’ll be sharing it even if it’s only one person.
Again, outside my comfort zone. I’m so much better sharing that sort of thing in writing than standing up and speaking.
But I was never called to stay in this little safety bubble. I wasn’t called to sit down in the corner and be all by myself. I was never told to keep my Story to myself. I was told to share my Story. To stand up and GO.
GO to the people who haven’t heard.
GO to the ones that are lost.
GO love the hurting.
GO smile and hug the broken hearted.
What they do in response is up to them, but I must GO, and so I will.
If you will pray for me while I’m gone that would be wonderful. And if you aren’t a praying person, then would you consider what you yourself should GO do? Actually, would you all do that? GO and smile at a stranger. GO and pay for the persons meal behind you in a drive-through. GO and buy groceries for a hurting family just trying to find food for this week.
We can all go in some way, here and around the world. It isn’t enough for me to GO to Panama if I won’t GO here at home.
So this is me peering around the door frame and crawling out of my corner. This is me opening my computer up, staring at the screen, and typing out some words when I don’t even know where to begin.
I’ll go.
