Counting It Loss

Right now, I’m sitting in my favorite chair, drinking a fresh home-roasted cup of coffee while my mom is buzzing around doing laundry, pulling weeds, and cleaning whatever has captured her attention at the moment. Our awesome dog, Bear, is flitting in between my mom and myself, landing for a second with the one who will give him the most attention.  I LOVE mornings like these. I’m so thankful that despite the craziness of life (and the busyness going on around me!), God gives me moments to sit and reflect on Him and the awesome plans He has for me.

In 4 short months, I will be living a life that looks completely different. I won’t be sitting in my favorite chair. I won’t be drinking a fresh home-roasted cup of coffee (SO SAD!! 🙂 ). My mom and dog won’t be busy living life around me. I may not have my favorite chair, my coffee, my mom, or my dog there, but what I do have will be worth leaving all these things behind to reach people in Paraguay with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am reminded in Philippians 3:7-11:

 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

It is so AWESOME to think that the Creator God has made a way for me, a sinful human, to be reconciled to Himself! I am so unworthy, yet He did it anyway. I fail to love Him back, yet He chooses to give me grace. I still sin against my righteous Father, yet He welcomes me back to Himself with open arms. He is giving me the opportunity to know Him in some new ways. I will be able to see His power work in ways I wouldn’t have been able to before. And He still chooses to use me to make HIS GREAT NAME known among the nations. It’s so humbling. He is using me, a sinful human, to bring the opportunity to KNOW HIM to people that otherwise would not hear. 

This is the gospel. The just and loving Creator of the universe has looked upon hopelessly sinful people and sent his Son, God in the flesh, to bear his wrath against sin on the cross and to show his power over sin in the Resurrection so that all who trust in him will be reconciled to God forever.  -David Platt

And, that is why I’m going to Paraguay. So more people can hear the gospel, and KNOW and LOVE the Father. Yes, I may miss mornings like these, but when I think about what I am gaining and, Lord willing, the people in Paraguay will be gaining, it pales in comparison.

As I said, I will be heading down in 4 short months! God has provided 99% of my monthly support, my full start-up costs, and enough funds to buy my plane ticket! I cannot express how thankful I am for His provisions, and for those who have come alongside my ministry and provided for me. I am in constant awe at His goodness and graciousness toward me through His people.

So you might be asking, what is next on your docket? What are you doing these days? Well, I just got back from traveling to the UP and to Canada visiting friends, supporters, and co-workers. It was a great time getting to meet and know some new people, see and spend some time with friends (old and new!) and to see and hear how God is working in their lives. This week, my goal is to start the process of purchasing my plane ticket (YAYYYYY!), as well as figuring out some other logistical things for moving to Paraguay. I also have my last scheduled speaking engagement coming up this weekend.

Other than that, I am doing a few small things here and there for my parents, cleaning a couple of houses, and the like. All that to say, if you would like to get together, lets make it happen! I am looking forward to using some of my “free time” (since I’m no longer working) on people that I know and love!