The Toy Story movies are some of my favorites from Disney. I love the strength that the toys display when they work together and help one another. They make me think of family by how loyally they care for each other.
One of my favorite mottos is Buzz Lightyear’s catchline, “to infinity and beyond!” He is always ready to go. Now, I’m not going back on my earlier assertion. I am not saying that every single person is meant to traverse miles and cross oceans in order to be a witness.
All the same, I do believe that He will ask us to go outside our comfort zone. For you, this may mean striking up conversation at the grocery store, serving at a soup kitchen, visiting with residents at a nursing home, or starting a club at your school. Or it may mean taking a flight and spending some time in a place where they may not speak the same language as you. Maybe it is all of the above.
We are all called to different paths. The point is not where you go or how many new people you meet, or what exactly it is that you do in that place and with those people. The point is that God moves when we do. Get involved in something you are passionate about, and do it all for God’s glory. You will start to love life like never before. Take it from someone who knows.
This past summer, I was blessed to be given the opportunity to complete a 7-week mission internship in Ecuador. It was a long 50 days with many ups and downs.
I learned so much about what I could be passionate about for the rest of my life. I took a hike to a village called Patul in the Andes mountains. Its about a 3- to 5-hour hike (depending on the weather and your physical condition,) and both times we made the trek it did not go as planned. At the end of the day, we had to remind ourselves that God’s goals were accomplished, and that’s all that really mattered.
I loved hiking, both on the day that it was gorgeously sunny and warm, and on the day that it was depressingly rainy and cold. It is a passion I discovered, and I can’t wait to keep trying it in new places, to see where else God fits it into my life in the days to come.
Having said that, I’ve been at college for about 7 weeks now, and the more I am involved in the things that matter to me and God, the happier I feel about life. I noticed the other day that the things I do without worldly “gain” - volunteering to teach toddler Sunday School or spending time singing hymns with nursing home residents - give me the most joy. I am passionate about showing God’s love through these voluntary sacrifices of time and effort, and God rewards me generously for my obedience in following the motions He puts in my heart.
In both of these situations, I can feel God present, working with me, through me, and in me. It doesn’t make a difference whether I am in the Andes mountains of Ecuador or on campus in Winona Lake, Indiana.
When we step out in faith and service, we are inviting God to move in big ways in our lives and those around us. He doesn’t require us to be miles away from home before He will show up. He just requires us to love.
So this is a call sisters, to step up and step out to do something. Get active in your community, wherever that is, or make an adventure of it and travel somewhere new. Do something you are passionate about that makes your heart happy, and do it for the glory of our God, the Most High. You will not be able to find more joy in all the world.
If you are a follower of Jesus, you were made to be a missionary - whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not, and whether you agree or not. So embrace it and love life. Nothing
To Infinity and Beyond!