Freely You Have Received, Freely Give

I think I possibly just had the best weekend of my life. 

It all began Friday night when eight of my very best friends came to my house so we could spend the weekend all together again. My house was not build to house extra girls on top of our family of four, but we made it work. And it made my heart smile to wake up on the couch Saturday morning to see our living room literally covered with my sweetest friends. I am not sure I could even see the carpet. 

To my best friends, thank you for loving me. 

In addition to being surrounded by my closest friends and family this whole weekend, I also got to be a part of a marvelous send-off party on Saturday night. The potluck was pretty good I hear, but I can't say I ate too much of it. My heart was fed instead. I cannot believe the love and encouragement that I felt and received during those hours. Thank you to everyone who came. You were a part of something that I will treasure for the rest of my life, and God used you to remind me of his amazing love and presence. 

To my friends, family, and supporters, thank you for loving me. 

Then on Sunday morning, I worshipped with my family at Pleasant Valley, and they commissioned me and my family with a prayer and blessing. That makes three churches now - so I must also thank Fellowship in Searcy and the Summit here in North Little Rock, both of whom also have prayed over me and sent me out with love and strength in Jesus. 

To the Body of Christ, thank you for loving me. 

Finally, I was able to fellowship and celebrate Jesus with my small group one last time on Sunday night. As they have so faithfully done over the last few weeks, they laid hands on me and prayed over me again.

To my K-group, thank you for loving me. 

To top it all off, one of my sweet friends in the group bought strawberry ice cream (my favorite!) to share. I made a pact about a week ago to eat a bowl of strawberry ice cream every day before I leave. So far, so good.

I laid in bed later that night, unable to fall asleep. Although my body was exhausted from such big events all in one weekend, my heart was very alive and overcome with thanksgiving. I didn't know that thankfulness could keep you awake at night...until now. 

"You know what?" I asked my friend sleeping on the trundle bed beside me. "I wish I could take how I feel right now - this emotion - and bottle it up and keep it forever! I wish I could pack it with me, take it all the way to Africa, and open it up anytime so that I can feel this way any time I want to." 

As I searched for words to describe how I was feeling, I said "I think this is what love feels like." I feel so loved and supported by so many people, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am not alone. I feel like I am surrounded on all sides with prayer and that I am being held up from underneath by the faith and love of the body of Christ. 

To Jesus, thank you for loving me. 

And I hear the Lord say, "Freely you have received. Freely give." 

The love I have in Christ and through his people is bubbling up and overflowing like a fresh water spring. I am spilling over already, and I have a huge storehouse of love to share with the people of Burkina Faso. 

But that's not all. As my friend and I stared into the comfortable darkness of my bedroom, I continued to try to explain how I felt. "And I think this is also what real faith feels like." 

 

Feeling such love makes me also feel such faith. Love really does cover all fears. Actually, it's more like love suffocates fear - fear just dies in the presence of love. Love leaves lies powerless. Therefore, I have never been more sure of anything in my life. That is, Africa is the next step in this lifelong adventure of following Jesus. And I am so so ready to go. I have a joy that can only come from believing in God's promises. 

After months of intense physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental preparation...I have a new emotion to write about. I don't know what to call it except to say that it's what real faith feels like. I wonder if it's how David felt when he faced Goliath, or how Daniel felt when he was thrown into the pit of lions, or how Peter felt when he stepped out of that boat and onto the water. It feels like the battle between truth and lies has been won. It feels like doubts and fears have been conquered. It feels like nothing can hold me back. It feels like a ready, steady heart. It feels like I believe in Jesus with all my heart. 

"You can keep this feeling with you forever," my friend responded. "It is in your heart, and the Holy is a seal on your heart." 

With that image in my mind, I finally fell fast asleep. There must be a little treasure box in the deepest part of our hearts where our real faith is hidden and secured in Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and accessible anytime and everytime we need to access it, which for me right now is every moment.