A Moment of Impact

 Today's blog will be a bit different than most monthly blogs. . . Most months I tell you about the ministry, or what we were able to do in the area we're in, I share the adventures we go on, the lives we touch, and the lives that touch us. . . 

 Today I just want to express how grateful I am for life.
A couple of days ago I found myself more thankful to be alive than ever before. . . 

As you may have seen on the news Narobi's West Gate mall has been under siege from Al-Quada terrorist. This is still going on today. . Many have died, many injured. . .  lives forever changed. 

What's crazy is that if this attack would've happened one week later that could have been us in that mall. See, we fly out from Narobi to get to our next country (Nepal), and we were destined to stop there on the way out being westerners an all. . we love our malls ya know?  Just one week , and things could have looked a lot differently. These attacks sadden me for those involved. The lives lost, the families in pain, the injured receiving aid. . . the families still in waiting to see if their loved one's come out of this chaos. 

As I was finding all this out I became extremely thankful for life right now. I am so grateful for my life, and the way I have been able to truly live it. Jesus says that when you choose life "I will give you life, life more abundantly" - LIFE more abundantly - without lack, full of hope, adventure, and joy. 

There are moments in history that stop you in your tracks. . . moments of sobriety where you are forced to take a look at your life, and see where it's been, and often times where it's going. . . 

For me, this is one of those moments. . .

Think back to 9/11. Where you were? what you thought? And how fast your your mind & heart  raced to those you love. Where all you wanted to do was call a family member or friend to say you love them, you miss them, your thankful for them. . .

In moments like these your forgive trespasses, and you forgive those who have had hurt you. .
 These moments come and interrupt the busyness of our day to day lives, they interrupt our schedules, deadlines, and push back things that truly aren't that important. 

Moments like these those of us who are lucky are the one's who get to see the gift of life, how precious it really is. We get to learn how to cherish & treasure it a little bit better one day longer. 

In this moment of processing my thoughts went to you. . . my family, my friends. 
You are more than just a support system for me on the World Race. You are family. You are the one's that if my life ended tomorrow it's your faces that would flash in front of my eyes as I breathed my last. 

My thoughts also were directed towards those right in front of me. The gift they are, and how I get to truly love those right in front of me a little bit better today because of a painful lesson learned from yesterday. . . 

Grieve with me the loss of these last few days

Pray with me for rescue, that God would be so gracious to come & comfort all those who mourn. 

I'm thankful for the sobriety of this moment. 

Not in that this had to happen, but in what I have chosen to see it as

I'm thankful for what it taught me, and what I was able to learn from this moment in history. . .

I'm thankful for each one of you, and your contributions to my life, and not just my Race. . . 

And finally, I'm thankful for life and today. 
 I'm thankful for the gift of life and the joy to be able to live it more abundantly. . . 

With a grateful heart, Love you all

Dev

NILE SPECIAL

So I find myself at such peace here at debrief. These times in between 3 months of ministry are so welcomed, and so deserved. We rest, we relax. We enjoy each others company, and pour into one another by speaking life into each others hearts at where we're at on our journey. We also have the privilege of catching up with our squad leaders, and squad coaches during this time. 

Like this purdy lady here! Me & Stacy (Alumni Squad Leader) catching up after she has been leading Q squad for the last 3 months- she got to come back for our month 8 debrief. 

This season and this time is so big, so important. So crucial on the Race. You can feel it in the air. You can see it in every Racer's eyes, hear it in their voices as they speak. It became really real to us when Hope (our squad coordinator) gave us re-entry packets to start looking at last night. 

We're down to the last trek of this journey. Here we are at the last 3 months of the Race, and I could fill this screen with stories & testimonies of what the Lord has been teaching me & speaking, but here is what I really want to share with you today. . .

 There are moments here on the Race, opportunities that  I have missed because of my attitude - last month was an example of that. Apathy struck me down this past month, and I had to battle the worst attitude I've had on the Race. I was always irritable, always frustrated. This frustration had little to do with our contacts or even our ministry. For some reason I just couldn't shake this month 8 funk. 

 We've been out here on the Nile for a few days now, and I have been searching my heart, listening intently to the Lord, and pondering my walk with Him, where I'm at, where I'm going. . why I came, what this has all been for. . 

In past blogs I have referenced this as my "walkabout". It has been that for sure, and yet so much more. 

These past few days I have learned something about myself that is simply beautiful. One of the main reasons I had been in this month 8 funk was not because of the contacts, the ministry, or even my team. The reason my heart was under such distress was because I did not have the right amount of intimacy my heart needed with the Lord. I was not able to get the amount of time with the Lord that my heart craved.  

I discovered these past few days how much of a dependency I have upon the Lord, and how beautiful that really is. When I haven't spent time with Him or in His presence I become irritable, I become frustrated, I become scattered and unsure of many things around me and about myself. 

To me this is a beautiful discovery that is a rag to riches story to my own heart. A "beauty found from beneath the ashes" . . 

I have grown up so independent, so self reliant, and here I am 24 years old and I find myself truly leaning upon my beloved. . dependent solely upon Him & Him alone. 

Today my heart is full & happy, and there is no place I'd rather be. 

We had the joy of taking a boat ride on the Nile today where most of us found ourselves having one on one's catching up and speaking into one another's lives's Soon after we had the pleasure of being able to celebrate in one of our dear friends baptism in the Nile. Moments like these I look around at these faces, and I see Him. I see Him in them, and all around them. I feel Him all around me. . . 

These moments they come & go so fast, and I intend to cherish each & every one. . 

From a heart that is full & happy today I just want to say I love you all. All my supporters, all the people following my blogs. . friends & family whom I can't wait to see. . You made this community possible for me. These people have poured in so much and continue to do so daily. I've poured out, and I have the privilege to continue doing so today. 

Many options are on the horizon for me & there are a few different things I am taking to the Lord to see where my next steps will be.  I can't give details just yet, because it's simply not all hashed out yet, but be on the lookout for updates! There are some really exciting things the Lord is speaking to me and showing me for this next season of my life. . for the next part of this journey and life of adventure. . 

I love you all 

Dev