Full Life

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it TO THE FULL.”

John 10:10 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  I think so often we humans believe that God wants to take control of our lives and make them more boring.  Take away all our fun.  Refuse to let us have the things our hearts dream about.  But if I have learned anything about God over the past few years of my life, it’s this: God is a WAY better storyteller than I am.  Every dream or plan I've had for my life has been NOTHING compared to the perfect plan He had all along.  And that’s the beauty about John 10:10.  Jesus wants desperately for us to understand that God doesn't want to take away our joy in life…that’s Satan!  God wants us to experience the BEST life possible.  The most beautiful, full, adventurous life.  And no matter what we might think, our versions of life don’t live up to that.  Our versions are really what Satan wants for us…mediocre half-lives that we settle for when we hold on too tightly to our own plans.  But when we let go and surrender our lives to God’s plan, we get the BEST. 

I share all this because it’s something God has been reminding me of again and again over these past few months.  At the beginning of 2016, Chris and I had a plan.  We envisioned ourselves interning with a different ministry here in Zambia.  We started the process, prayed through all the details, and truly believed that’s where we’d end up.  But then it all fell through.  Because God had a different plan. He wanted us at Abba’s Heart.  Working with street kids.  If I’m being totally honest, Chris and I felt God calling us to work with street kids back in 2015, but we let fear hold us back.  We knew street kid ministry would be WAY harder than anything we’d ever done before.  We didn’t know if we were ready for it.  We didn’t know if we were truly hearing God’s voice.  And so we pursued a different path.  But God loved us enough to NOT let us run away.  So here we are.  Right where He wanted us all along.

It’s only been two weeks, and I can honestly say that we are SO grateful God doesn’t settle for our plans.  We are grateful for a loving Father who always knows what’s best for us.  Always knows the things that will bring us the greatest fulfillment.  Chris and I have spent the past two weeks building relationships with 10 incredible young men whom God has rescued from life on the streets.  Some of them have been off the streets for several years and one boy just moved in three weeks ago.  I’ll admit that I expected these boys to be cold, bitter and hard to connect with.  Instead, I have discovered that they are some of the sweetest, funniest boys I’ve ever met.  If God had allowed our plans to go through, we would’ve missed the opportunity to invest in their lives.  And THAT’S what God means when He says He wants to give us life to the full.  He wanted me to feel the incredible awe of watching my husband write a worship song with boys who used to have no hope.  He wanted us to see their dedication to memorizing 40 Bible verses that they were given at youth camp.  He wanted me to see the joy in a 20-year-old’s face when I told him he spelled the word “sit” correctly.  Most of all, God wanted us to understand that even if street kid ministry is hard, it is BEYOND worth it when you see how He can transform a life. Satan wanted to rob us of these life-changing experiences.  But God fought for us to have life to the full…and we are forever grateful that He did.

Yes, we know things won’t always be so wonderful.  We know there will be disappointments and challenges along the way.  We know there will be moments of feeling exhausted, defeated and ineffective.  But we also know that God has called us here.  And because He called us here, we know that we will experience more joy and more grace in this place than we would anywhere else.  We are grateful for a God who loves us enough to highjack our plans so He can give us the BEST.

Thank you for joining us on this adventure!