Since October of 2010 I have been prayerfully considering going to Uganda for a semester. This all came about as a joke at first, but the more I poked at it, the more I felt led to really consider it. Life does strange things to me (well, to everyone I guess....but I can only speak for myself). There are three things that I remember saying that I would never do in life:
1. Work at a BIG church.
2. Go to Williams Baptist College.
3. Spend a portion of my life overseas.
If you know anything at all about me, you know that the first two have been a HUGE part of my life for the past three years. The third, has had an even bigger impact without even taking place.
When Uganda started to become a real consideration I freaked. I didn't want to leave Williams for a semester.....I didn't want to leave my Central kids and church family. The truth is, I knew it was going to be uncomfortable, hard, complicated and a lot more difficult than just staying in Walnut Ridge and finishing school. This would ruin all my plans. As I started the application process I knew that applying would not guarantee that I would get to go, but at least then I could "prove" to myself that I was willing to go.
I am supposed to find out about Uganda on the 17th of this month (10 days from now). I haven't told many people about this possible next step in my life because I wanted to know for sure that I was going before I told everyone, but I am not writing this to announce my decision or the direction of my life. I am writing this to explain what God has taught me through it all.
I think that as believers we are all called to go. To go everywhere, not just Walnut Ridge or Jonesboro, or even just Arkansas, but to all nations. We are called to live uncomfortably so that others can taste and see that the Lord is good. How we spend our time and money is a reflection of our hearts....ouch. I have become so used to having all these "resources" to myself...all these things that could be spent on others.
In the waiting time to find out about Uganda I have thought quite a bit on not only how I spend my time, but why I spend my time in this way. If Christ calls us to do hard things then why has my life seemed so easy over the past three years? I'm not saying applying to spend a semester in another country is hard for everyone, I am simply saying that life as I know it right now is easy. This leads me to believe that something is not right. I am praying to go, but willing to stay....yet another thing I thought I would never do.
