About the Author

EB lives in Texas.

I've always loved Christ and grew up in a Christian family. My sister has always encouraged me as well as both of my parents. I've always gone to church, youth group, and the retreats and things. Jesus is my savior. He died for me, so I live for him.

Mission FireFly » Devotionals » EB

Take Time to Listen to God

One year ago, I heard God calling me to make the decision about what I was going to do the next summer. The problem was that I didn’t know what I wanted to do, go on the mission trip with the church in June or go to France with the school in June. In August, I was also informed of another choice, I could also go to Washington DC with the school. I didn’t know what to do. I prayed about it asking God what I should do come June. I felt something, something special pulling me towards Mexico. After I saw the video from the high school mission trip in Mexico, I knew my decision was made. I had to go with the church. It no longer mattered that I would be staying in an orphanage in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico with all the little bugs and disgusting things, or that I’m not entirely cut out for building a house because I’m overall a weakling, or that it's Mexico in the middle of the summer where I’ll be working on a tin roof, or even that its so dangerous in Mexico you can’t even drink the water and we’d have to bring all our own water, nothing mattered.

About half way through the year we learned that there wasn’t going to be a French trip this year, eliminating one of my choices. I thanked God for showing me I’d made the right choice, but then violence erupted in the areas around Nuevo Laredo. Due to this violence, there was a perception that there was violence in Nuevo Laredo too, even though there wasn’t. They people at the church thought it best if we didn’t go to Nuevo Laredo because they knew that less people would come due to the violence, and that the violence could shift over at any time. I was left with DC and an unknown trip. What was going on? Why did God change the choice? I was confused, and I blamed God. I had been looking forward to Mexico for months, years even since I ever started going on mission trips; now, I’d have to wait another year. I wanted to go to DC with my friends, and I wanted to go on mission trip, to Mexico.

This time, I didn’t pray to God about my decision. I signed up for DC without second though, knowing that if I changed my mind I could always drop it. I didn’t listen to God’s calling. That’s when the economy crashed. I couldn’t go to DC anymore; I knew it was God. I went back to him. I prayed about where we should go for mission trip. I felt God moving again in my life because I stopped and listened to him. Listen to the Lord, he’ll lead you places.

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11