A few weeks ago Tara and I signed up for the Atlanta half marathon on Nov. 28. It was the only thing that would get me motivated enough to get "off the couch", lace up my running shoes and get out the door. I had to just sign up and do it! I am already feeling some great results of my effort. I have lost a few pounds and I feel a whole lot healthier. Although, it has been rather uncomfortable and has required some discipline, I am already feeling pretty comfortable running 4 miles and that is a great feeling...a great confidence booster. However, I will admit that Tara is doing a lot better than me. She can run farther and her pace is a lot faster than mine but that is ok...I am just enjoying the fact that I am not sitting on the couch and I really enjoy the wind blowing through my hair as I run...that's the good stuff in life. (mom..hope this answers your question on why I haven't gotten a haircut yet).
Anyways,.........
Paul says in Hebrews 12 let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
And so it is in my spiritual life. I am running. I am running the race that is set before us. It was not easy. I had to have a motivator...that is a motivating factor to get me "off the couch".....I had to just sign up and do it. I had to step out in faith and sign up for our mission journey to Kenya. I had received the call from God to go to Kenya. I had received my confirmation. I consulted with my spiritual authority. Everything was lining up, except for ME.
My own fears and frustrations had me immobile...what will I do for a job?, where will we live as we transition?, what about my certifications?......the unanswered questions kept piling up in my mind but I had to do it. So I did. We did. We stepped out into the uncomfortableness of faith and "signed up", we are "all in" for the mission field in Kenya. And the Lord has provided!!!!!!
We have already had a great response from friends and family in support of our journey. We haven't even started our fundraising campaign and already people have shown interest in what we are doing. We see the body of Christ in it's glory. I have an overwhelming since of peace regarding our finances. We have moved into a house in Commerce. I have started teaching The Genesis Process at a women's ministry in Martin, GA called New Beginnings. I will be finishing my state certification in addiction counseling in December. I will be preaching at both services on Sept 15 at CFUMC (thank you David Bowen for sharing the pulpit). Tara and I both are helping with a jail ministry. All of this God has placed in our lives in just a few short weeks with the goal of reaching Kenya.
Spiritually, we feel healthier, we have lost a few pounds. We are laying aside the sin that ensnares us. The sin of doubt. The sin of control. The sin of self-reliance. The sin and weight of not fully relying on God. Yes, we are running...we are running into the arms of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and by increasing our faith He is giving us the endurance to continue.
Blessings,
Joel and Tara
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