5 Short Hours

I have always wanted to go see & visit Bend, Oregon. Why you ask? Well, quite a chunk of important people have lived there for a large duration of their lives. People I call my youth pastors, people I have served along side of for the last few years, and people I happily call my friends.

...Plus, I've heard it's beautiful and doesn't emit a smell that Nampa so graciously slaps you in the face with.

The same day that God woke up me up early (previous blog post) is the same day I found I had the chance to pack some things and head on over.  After a quick conversation, and a day of waiting to confirm, I woke up on a Friday morning excited to see a place that has shaped the lives' of many people I hold dear to my heart.

Later that day I drove over with my youth pastors and another friend of mine. It was fun, for many reasons:

1. I LOVE road trips
2. I was with my youth pastors
3. We laughed a ton! Talked about ministry, marriage, heard funny stories about their best friends who live in Uganda
4. And of course, we ate! My favorite :)

We traveled there to participate in the ALS Walk (google it if you don't know what it is).  So, the next morning we woke up, joined tons of people at Westside Church, threw on a blue shirt to show support of Steve Stern (who has been diagnosed w/ALS) and joined the army of Team Stern!

This was the day. The day I will always remember. In the whirlwind of meeting new people, eating pancakes, laughing, & walking in the ALS Walk God began to flood my thoughts & heart with the deep realization of how much I truly love His people. While we made the march as Team Stern, I saw all the people that have joined together and couldn't help but feel a deep love for each one of them. It was like a strong wind came & knocked off my glasses. But, instead of picking up my old ones, I picked up glasses that saw people through the eyes & the heart of the Lord. 

I remember talking to Pastor Jamie expressing how much I love people. I began envisioning these people come to realize how much the Lord deeply & earnestly loves them...and I would assume some of them have no idea of that truth.

I was done for after that.

We drove home that same day (yep, it was a short trip). Which means, I spent 5 solid hours with the consuming thought about my heart for God's people. Somewhere along the lines the idea of missions and God's heart intertwined. And the only thought that kept pulsing in my heart was,

...what if?

What if I traveled to another country longer than a 2 week mission trip?

What if what I was dreaming was actually just a small portion of God's bigger plan?

What if I decided to pick up and go serve Brent & Virginia in Uganda?

Think of all the people.

Sometimes when I have dreaming sessions with the Lord I can visually see multitudes of people receiving the love of Christ.  People that have never understood their worth & value begin to experience God's consuming love for them.  I see the people I pastor now and dream that those are the ones that are helping me to spread the gospel. 

Multitudes. 

It rocks me every time.

...ok, now to get back to my story. 

I spent 5 short hours dreaming with God. Dreaming about all the, "What if's." I was stirred. And yes, I was tired. But, I came home different. A short, 2 day trip left me beckoning for more. I felt like I was at the edge of the ocean with giant waves of God's heart, dreams, & plans continuing to wash over me.  Except, what I really wanted was to be out there, surfing the waves of destiny. 

I didn't go to a church conference. I didn't talk to the visiting missionary from Uganda much. And to be honest didn't talk about ministry with many people.

I was simply being overtaken by the voice of God. So sweet and yet so clear.

God is big. 

I was ready to do big things.

To be a vessel in reaching the nations.

...I just wasn't sure when, where, & how yet.