The Labyrinth

So tomorrow marks the 1 year start of this whole endeavor.  March 11, 2011 is when I boarded a plane in a hurry to make it to the International Information Weekend at Sharp Top Cove, a YL camp in Georgia.  This time last year I had no idea where this journey was going to take me but I was more than willing to take the steps.

While visiting the camp in Nicaragua a few weeks ago I got a chance to walk through the labyrinth.  A labyrinth is like a maze but there's no wrong way.  This particular one is made out of bushes about 8 feet high planted in a circle with a cross at the middle.  The labyrinth is just one of the many things that really impressed me with the camp.  I had never gone through a labyrinth before but I was assured there was no wrong way and it would take under 10 minutes to go through.  It was one of the first times on my journey that weekend that I really got to enjoy the silence and hear the Lord.

It was a really sweet time for me.  I just started praying as soon I walked in.  Up until this point, I had gone to bed the night before doubting that I could ever have a place in Nicaragua because the ministry seemed to be doing so well and my teammates are already so amazing at what they're doing - where could I fit in?  What did I have to offer that they didn't already have? I was doubting my Spanish skills and even my knowledge of the Lord.  So many doubts and concerns had been rushing through my head that I needed this 10 minutes with the Lord more than I realized.  (I had also been running on little sleep the day before so the shock was a little more overwhelming.)

I don't remember my specific prayers but I'm sure they were filled with these concerns.  The next thing I know, I hear the Lord telling me, "There is no wrong way Jen.  Just take the steps. Just take the steps."  What an amazingly gracious God who sweeps in with such simple instructions and promises greatness.  He will be with me, all I have to do is be willing to take the steps.  He is the one who gets to call people to Himself and I get to be a tool in this process.  Sure, the ministry is thriving and it will be an honor to be a part of that but He has called me to this place for a reason.  I do have things to offer that they team may not even realize we need yet and the Lord's glory will be shown through it all.  There is no wrong way to get to a place where I am glorifying the Lord and a calling to boldness. 


I have to admit, after walking in circles for a few minutes I was wondering when I get to see the cross because you can only look at 8 foot tall bushes for so long.

But isn't that similar to our daily lives?  We feel like we're seeing the same things every day:  talking to the same people, having the same schedule, eating the same food, etc - when do we get to see what He's doing?!  The Lord is faithful to His promises and one of the biggest ones to me these days is that He promises to be with me on this journey.  He also promises to go BEFORE me and prepare a place for me.  How could I not go if He is preparing a place for me?  How could I stay in NC if I know He wants me in Nicaragua?  It only makes sense to me to go.

I know this journey is going to be long.  I know the circles are going to seem endless.  I know there will be points where I just need a break, I just need to sit down for a minute and trust in the Lord's promises and that's ok.  I also learned from my short time in Nicaragua that it's not going to be easy and I may never see the fruits that will come of it and I have to be ok with that too. It's not about me and what I get to do, it's about what the Lord is doing and that I get to be a part of it.

There's no wrong way.

Just take the steps. 

And I will be with you.