"In God We Trust"

                                                                       "In God We Trust"

In times of seeking, I wish God would speak to me directly so I would know what to do, but that would be too easy. Instead, God speaks to me in the strangest form most times. No matter how the Lord speaks to me, He is good and I trust that His timing is always right. Over the last few weeks of being here in Cleveland, there have been multiple times that I felt a small tug in my heart and was reminded to trust in the Lord. 

The first reminder occurred when I was driving down to Cleveland two weeks ago. I drove past a truck with the saying "In God We Trust" and that was the perfect reminder for me as I made my way to Cleveland. I am currently learning to trust in God's plans for me. Has it been easy? Absolutely not, especially for someone who likes to plan things out and make sure there is possibly a good result at the end. What are His plans for me? I'm still searching, but I can say that His plans are definitely better than mine. 

Another reminder of God's promises happened two Sundays ago. The Pastor read a passage from Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you. Declares the Lord". This passage was very comforting and brings joy to my heart. I was reminded that God knows my future and I can put my hope in Him. I trust that regardless of what my decision will be at the end of Summer, being here in Cleveland now will shape me even more in my walk with the Lord and in my everyday life. 

During one of our morning prayers, We read from Isaiah 6 about Isaiah's commission. Like Isaiah, We as believers are God's messengers. In verse 8, Isaiah said " Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' and I said, 'Here I am, Send me!' After reading this passage, I was reminded of my prayers a couple years back saying the same exact words as Isaiah... "Here I am, Send me." I had feelings of conviction for constantly running from God when He opened doors for me in the past. I trust that God had opened this opportunity for me to serve in Cleveland and I want to be able to respond with open hands. 

I also had the opportunity to join a few churches for worship these last few Sundays. One of the churches was a Congolese church. Aside from having no air conditioning in the building, their punctuality, and the length of their service, I really enjoyed being able to have a time of worship with them. I think we were in prayer and worship for an hour or so before the pastor started preaching. (wished I took videos to share, but I didn't want to be that weirdo guest who records a church service.) As I observed the congregation as they came in (half of the congregation was at least 15- 30 minutes late), they immediately got on their knees, prayed, and then joined in in worship. Seeing this, I realized how often I have attended church and my heart and mind are just so preoccupied with so many other things or is not right with the Lord. I was inspired by the way they prepare their hearts to hear God's words. The joy of coming together to worship God was indescribable. 

 

Overall, I am slowly easing my way into my role and responsibilities here. As I drive around town and engage with the people in this particular part of Cleveland, I can sense their sadness and brokenness. However, I am hopeful and I believe that God is moving, and He is doing great things in this community. I will share more about the community and ways Envision has been a part of Cleveland in the next blog... Be on the lookout for it. 

Lastly, I am really thankful for the Envision staff here. They've been really encouraging and supportive. Despite their busy schedules, they're still making time to check in with me and investing their time in me. Most importantly, handing such a huge role over to me and having confidence in me when I have so much doubt myself. Thank you for all of your constant support. 

With all this to say, I realized how much time I have left before I need to make a decision and I need to trust that God's plans for me, in the end, will be good regardless of what I decide to do. I just hope that my decision will glorify God. 

To my prayer warriors, Thank You! You guys don't know how many times I have felt defeated and lost. I believe that your prayers are being heard and are also giving me the spiritual guidance and strength I needed daily. Thank you for walking with me on this journey and praying for me. 💛 THANK YOU!  

Please continue to pray for....

• wisdom
• strength
• humbleness
• clarity
• My Parents... they're supportive of my decision, but they also had a really hard time with my decision to come to Cleveland for the summer with the possibility of this summer opportunity becoming something more than just the summer. 
• Peace and Joy over my parents
• the neighborhoods 

Enjoy a little sunset from the coast of Lake Erie from two weeks ago. :)