Deciding to go on the World Race!

Hey sweet family and friends,

I am glad you found my blog! Over the next year, as I prepare to go to the World Race, I will post updates on fundraising, life, and what Jesus has been teaching me! Once on the Race, I will post updates on how the ministry is going and what life on the mission field is like! In just under a year, I will be leaving to go on the race; I never thought that this was what the Lord had planned for my life! But over the last couple of years, Jesus has been working on my heart, and now my life is His. Although this may not have been my plan, I’m excited to see what the Lord has in store!

My walk with Jesus:

Wow has Jesus changed my life!! My whole life I was a girl who grew up in church and knew all the facts of the bible. But I never really had a relationship with the Lord. When I was younger, I remember being anxious and terrified of being around people; I didn’t want to be seen or heard. I was so scared of what others thought of me and I hated myself. I was trying to be perfect in every area of my life, but no matter what I did, I never seemed to be enough. At this point, I was tired and fed up with church, it’s like I knew that there was something more, but nothing I did could get me to the more. But in that tiredness and frustration, I met the Man Jesus. Someone I had heard a lot about for years, but I realized I never really knew. He came so close and began to tear down lies I had walked under for so long; He showed me what His death on the cross meant for me and the significance of His blood. He told me that I am His beloved, and He is mine. He came into the dark places of my heart and began to uproot the lies, guilt, and bitterness. He listened to all of my frustrations and anger. He responded with loving kindness; He told me that He wanted me as a daughter and that He desperately loved me. This changed everything. I began to learn about Jesus’s heart for me and that He desires to know me intimately and personally. Before I knew it, I began to fall in love with a man with fire in His eyes and holes in His hands! There’s nothing I had to do to love Him or receive His love. I just got to rest in His presence as a daughter. Now Jesus is showing me what it looks like to walk with Him daily, sit at His feet, learn what it means to surrender, and invite Him into everything. He is not looking for perfection, He just wants my heart. He is looking for laid down lovers who desire nothing more than His presence. Right now, I don’t have it all figured out, but I do know that Jesus has changed me! He is Holy and above it all, and He has called me to go, so my other plans are on hold as I walk in what Jesus Has called me to! 

 This Past Season of Life:

The last few months of my life have been full of tears and frustration as I began praying over what my next steps in life were. Going into senior year I thought that I had it all planned – go to college for nursing, finish early and then become a travel nurse. But the Lord had other plans. This whole time I began looking into colleges and I couldn’t get missions off my mind. Over and over again, missions kept coming up, so I finally began praying and asking the Lord why this was on my heart. So, I asked Him, “Are you calling me into missions? And if so, Lord, make it so incredibly clear.” Over and over again, Jesus gave me yes after yes and sign after sign. But I was terrified to pursue missions. One morning, I was sitting with the Lord after he had given me confirmation that I was supposed to go into missions, but I was terrified. I said “Lord, I don’t know how to give up my plans. I don’t know how to truly surrender my future.” As I sat there weeping, He reminded me that He was home; He was and is the first place overall. He reminded me that if I say that He is everything, then I have to follow what He is calling me to, even if that means my life isn’t looking how I want it to look in the timeline I had planned. So here I am. I said yes to going, unsure of how to fundraise, uncertain of what this next year of life leading up to my trip looks like, and honestly nervous. I never would have chosen myself for missions, but the Lord has called me! While I am beyond excited, it is hard to think about being gone for nine months. It’s weird to think about not seeing everyone closest to you for such a long time. Honestly the last couple of days I have really been struggling with the idea of being gone; it’s been hard. The enemy has been coming in hard with lies and doubts about the future over the last week. But I am believing in faith that He who has called me is faithful to finish the work He has started in me. Even when what He is calling me to seems hard and so out of what I had imagined for myself. Regardless, Jesus is so worthy of our timeline, ideas, and plans. He is everything and He is worthy of it all!

What the Lord has been teaching me lately: 

The last few weeks Jesus has been reminding me that He just needs my heart in full surrender. Loving Jesus isn’t about if, where, or how long I go into missions for, it’s not about how I worship or if I have the good encouraging word for someone. It’s only ever been about knowing Jesus and being made into His likeness. It’s about being willing to be taken deep into His heart and His sufferings in order to become like Him. It means death to self every day and learning the joy in going low in humility and being okay with not being seen by anyone but Jesus. The Lord has been reminding me of this for a while now and it’s something I am very slowly learning, and I have a feeling this is something I will be learning for many years to come! To go low and be a child at His feet is where I desire to be found, I’ve been in Mark 10 recently as well as Matthew 11. 

Fundraising:

Over the last few months, I’ve been slowly letting people in on the next steps of life and the World Race! Yesterday I posted on social medias and today I sent out support letters! So many sweet friends have reached out with prayers and encouragement which has been so sweet and exactly what I needed! Along with this it’s been so sweet to see the way that the Lord is already providing funds! Thank you Jesus!!!!!!! I’m beyond excited to walk alongside all of y’all over these next few months! All glory to the Lord for who He is and what He is doing!

With love,

Meridyth