Friday, January 28, 2011

The Best Way To Be Overwhelmed... Ever.

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. (Luke 10:2)


I just finished my Orientation with GEM (Greater Europe Mission) and I am so unbelievably overwhelmed, in the best of ways of course. First of all, I'm overwhelmed that people have been praying for laborers for the harvest, and that the answer is me. What?! That's crazy! My mind can't even comprehend it. (Free will? Or was my path chosen for me? Good question to ponder). It's so wonderful. 


Secondly, I am overwhelmed by God's goodness, that He has called me to do His work on the mission field. He doesn't need me to get His work done, and I certainly don't deserve to do it, but He's invited me to join Him anyways. What a privilege He has given me! I could just cry! 


Third, I am overwhelmed at just how incompetent I am. There's so many things that I can epically fail at. I'll list some for you! Learning French? Check. Talking politics and philosophy with the French people? Check. Raising enough money to live for 9 months in Paris? Check. Loving all of those around me, all the time? Check. See how incompetent I am?! It's overwhelming. 


But even more overwhelming than those things is the fact that He will do it. Faithful [is] he that calleth you, who also will do it (1Thesselonians 5:24). It's not that I'm not going to have to put in any work. This job will certainly NOT be easy. But He's going to provide everything I need for it. It's so beautiful.


And lastly, I am overwhelmed with His compassion for the French people. He loves them and He wants to give them the life and light that He gave to me. Someone at the GEM office told me this last week that only 1% of people in France actually have a relationship with God. I'm not really sure how that statistic can be figured out, but it shows how desperately the country needs Jesus Christ. Imagine the entire French nation falling on their faces before the living God. I certainly don't believe that will happen instantly. But I do know that for some reason, God wants to pour His love upon the country. Wow!


So in summary, I'm overhwhelmed:
1. I'M an answer to prayer
2. That God has called ME
3. At how incompetent I am for this job
4. That He will enable me
5. By His love for France

I'm so excited for this journey I've just embarked upon. I'm praying that you will join me and God on this adventure. It's going to be impossible, wonderful, terrifying, heart-breaking, awe-inspiring, difficult, worshipful, glorious and oh so full of Him.... and I just can't wait!