knowing God's will...

from last week's sermon...
(applied to me when i was trying to figure out what my calling was for this summer, and if this Jane & Finch missions trip was part of God's will, and His calling for me...)


knowing/discovering God's will in 6 steps...

1. the Instruction step

2. the Confirmation step

3. the Application step

4. the Confrontation

5. the Inspiration

6. the Realization





1. the instruction step:
getting instructions and direction from God through His word...from the bible,
'Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.' Psalm 119:105,

2. confirmation through people and signs... God's will for you.... or a calling for you, can be confirmed to you through Godly people, or signs from God... guiding you... opening or closing doors for you.... for me, it was some people from my Laurier fellowship that would pray for me, and give me encouragement, in discerning His will for me this summer, and for the opportunity for me to spend my summer as an intern at Jane and Finch.

3. application...stepping up in faith, applying, and doing, implementing.... talking/emailing John Knight, asking him more details about this summer ministry, how i can help, what i'd be doing... and taking an initiative to see what this is all about, and then actually applying for it, and going thru all the admin stuff...

4. challenges and obstacles... definitely not easy, and not a walk in the park...but God will make a way... there will be detours to teach you something, to show you something.... these detours have a purpose... it will not be easy, but is necessary... for me... a BIG obstacle in the beginning was summer ministry VS. summer job.... do i get a job to help pay for my tuition and rent? do i get my first summer job, that i've been trying to get for years? or do i just do something crazy and go live at jane and finch and do local missions?
ALSO, another huge obstacle was funding.... BECAUSE i wasn't going to have a summer job.... funding was a huge worry for me... how and where could i get $2000+?! i honestly started to freak out.... but my youth pastor told me, "If He's really callign you to do this, and dedicate your summer for Him... He's gonna make a way for you, and provide.... don't worry..." and He was right... God inspired me to hold 2 fundraising events, and it was ONLY by the grace of God, that i was able to create 'Streetlights' and the 'Streetlights Softball Tourney', and really use those 2 events as His way of providing for me.... and telling me to just Trust Him! not only does He provide... but He goes above and beyond your imagination and just amazes you and leaves you in awe, because what He does and what He is capable of, is simply....unfathomable.

i really would like to share with you, that if God is calling you to do something... lead somewhere, be this or that, go here or there.... if challenges or obstacles get in your way, or it becomes really difficult or challenging.... don't give up. use it as a test to make you stronger, and use it as a trial of your faith... where your faith will be stretched, and you need to be able trust Him.... if it really IS His will.... it will work out... have faith! just trust!

5. inspiration... encouragement and inspiration through words, works, worship... God will do things to reassure you... and He surrounded me with people to reassure me that this is an opportunity from Him for me to really go after, and this is a great thing for me to be doign this summer, to really go out of my comfort zone, and be challenged and stretched

6. realizing.. and praising God, and sharing your testimony..etc i dont exactly remember this last step clearly... but i think it's when you realize all of the previous steps, that you share it, and share the testimony of all the steps, how your story came to be... and the whole process, and how far God has brought you from.

there will be ups and downs in discerning God's will... in trying to figure out His calling and what He has planned for you... but someone told me that if it's really what God has in store for you... you won't be able to run from it.... if it fades, it might just be your emotions... but if it's God's calling... it will catch up to you, and there is no escaping it.... (not in a bad way of course), but that's sort of what happened to me.... the opportunity of serving, and doing missions, interning at Jane & Finch, was just more and more clear in my mind, it was such a big thing planted in my heart, and all signs just pointed in that direction.... oh and of course.... it all starts with prayer... continual prayer...

it is my hope and prayer that maybe God can show you something, speak to you, and call you to do something bold...and do something really out there, for His glory and to be a light in this world, to take up your cross and follow Him!



another story...

so today, we bumped into this woman, she's about 24-30 yrs of age, and she isnt married, but has 5 kids, most of them are with different fathers who have all left her... she is pregnant with a 6th kid, but she is contemplating abortion, and today she just kinda broke down as she was talking to sarah (one of the other interns) who's met her before....
she was saying how she knows how terrible abortion is, and she's so full of guilt, but she thinks she needs to do it, cause she doesnt think she could handle a 6th kid....and she said she might not be able to survive another pregnancy.. but im not sure.... we walked her and her 2 kids to a local child care, and then we walked with her to the church for some counselling...
i hope everything with her works out....
keep her in your prayers if you could.
thanks, God bless.