Faith, Belief, Courage.

“It’s 3am, now where you gonna go?” – The Script in “Talk You Down”

It’s been about 38 hours since I stepped foot on American soil. Everyone is safe. Everyone is probably on the mend from any sickness that was had in India. And I’m wondering if everyone has jet lag like me…or misses India as much as I do.

“Come Thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy praise.”

God has blessed me richly. He took me to India. He brought me home safely. He changed me. He is molding me still. I will never forget this past month. I can only pray that I will continue to have the courage to follow His leading.

“Standing on this mountain top, looking just how far we’ve come, knowing that for every step, You were with us; Kneeling on this battle ground, seeing just how much You’ve done, knowing every victory was Your power in us; Scars and struggles on the way, but with joy our hearts can say, Yes, our hearts can say: Never once did we ever walk alone, never once did You leave us on our own, You are faithful, God, You are faithful…You will lead us Lord, and we shall not be overcome!” 

Matt Redman in “Never Once”

“Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God, You are higher than any other, Our God is healer, Awesome in power, Our God, Our God…And if our God is for us, than who could ever stop us, and if our God is with us, then what could stand against!” – Chris Tomlin in “Our God”

It was so scary coming back. It’s still scary. There are so many questions. But questions are okay when God is the one in control of your life. Oh, that I would not forget how richly He has blessed me and how faithfully He has guided me this far.

On the way to the Dehli airport, I had an impactful conversation with one of my team members. We talked about faith and belief and how so often we pray, but yet don’t truly believe that it makes a difference or that God will do what we ask. We also talked about doing hard things. He commented something like this, “Sometimes you feel God speaking to you and it seems crazy. But sometimes we have to have the faith to believe that God really is speaking. God blesses the choices that take more faith.” Oh, that I would have the faith. Oh, that I would trust in my Lord alone for HE is in control of my life. What a tragedy if I do not live as the transformed Laura that God made in India.

“The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” – Matthew 26:41

Here is an excerpt from Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest. The passage is taken from his March 22 devotional. Luke shared this passage for his devotion in India and I found it to be very impactful. The scripture this reflection is based off of is Luke 24:32.

“We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, the fires are kindled, we have wonderful visions, then we have to learn to keep the secret of the burning heart that will go through anything. It is the dull, bald, dreary, commonplace day, with commonplace duties and people, that kills the burning heart unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.

Much of our distress as Christians comes not because of sin, but because we are ignorant of the laws of our own nature. For instance, the only test as to whether we ought to allow an emotion to have its way is to see what the outcome of the emotion will be. Push it to its logical conclusion, and if the outcome is something God would condemn, allow it no more way. But if it be an emotion kindled by the Spirit of God and you do not let that emotion have its right issue in your life, it will react on a lower level. That is the way sentimentalists are made. The higher the emotion is, the deeper the degradation will be, if it is not worked out on its proper level. If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many things inevitable as possible, let the consequences be what they will. We cannot stay on the mount of transfiguration, but we must obey the light we received there; we must act it out. When God gives a vision, transact business on that line, no matter what it costs.”

Please continue to pray for me, even as I have returned safely from India. Pray that I would not remain on the mount of transfiguration, but that I would obey the light God gave me there. Pray that the freedom I felt in India will be put in chains now that I am home. Pray for courage…for contentment…for a love that shines, even on the darkest of days. God isn’t finished with me yet. There is still much work to be done.

Pray for India. Pray that I would be a bold voice that speaks for the love I have seen there.