Found

Written July 2018: Taken from another blog I wrote and added to this one



“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:13-14

Every momma’s prayer is that God will find her children and never let go. In her years and years of seeking hard, God finally allowed Alex to see Him. It’s the coolest story. Ready?

In 2016, Alex went on a mission trip to Ukraine pretty much kicking and screaming.  She adamantly stated she did not have a calling for missions and this trip was a “waste of time”, but she agreed to go because her dad was heading up the team.  She found herself repentant after spending just a few days at youth camp with these Ukrainian people.  She fell in love with them, in love with the country, in love with the mission, and gave in 100% to the overwhelming call she was feeling.  It was literally from darkness to light.

Receiving a calling doesn’t necessarily mean God lays out everything in a nicely tied package for you.  For 2 years, Alex has sought God in the deepest ways with what she is to do with her life.  She has prayed and received no clear answer, she has searched the scripture, she has read books about God’s will, she has sought counsel with no peace in the answers.  We have reminded her over and over again that God will reveal what He wants from her in His timing.  Just keep seeking, keep praying, keep walking toward the call that you feel so strongly in your heart. Wrestling with God and begging Him to give her answers has been exhausting.

After a few months from high school graduation with no direction and no future plans, she was really downcast and confused.  She felt everyone else in life knew exactly what they wanted to do with their future, but she had no idea.  We began the admission process as a non-degree seeking student to The College at Southeastern so she could take a few classes with the hopes of God opening clear doors. The only thing she knew for sure was that she wanted to return to Ukraine because she felt such peace when she was there. She was finally able to return to Ukraine July 2018. Her heart was now captured and encouraged even more, and the calling was been stamped even harder on her soul. Upon her return home from a great week with her Ukrainian family and having spent an exceptional time in the presence of God, she had decided that she wants to return to Ukraine to teach English as a second language for those youth who can’t afford to take English classes. That is something more reserved for the wealthier children in that country and she feels called to minister to the least of these. She feels adamant that she is to return there and immerse herself in the culture, be ready with the language, and have the heart to do whatever God readies her to do. Her graduation mantra that she painted so beautifully on the top of her graduate cap said, “If the wind goes where You send it, So Will I.”

Just a week home and she began searching all the options of how to get back to Ukraine, how to obtain a student visa, how to afford living there (even though she has a Ukrainian family who already has agreed to let her live with them), downloading apps to further learn the language, finishing her application for admission to Southeastern, and so forth.  She has been praying diligently and the answer that keeps coming back to her is teaching English. While she has been busy with all the aforementioned things, I found an opportunity for her to teach ESL with the refugee ministry here in Raleigh.  She emailed the director and they will be more than happy to have her gain experience teaching a small group there.  But then we questioned “how” exactly do you teach English to those wanting to learn?  There has to be some classes somewhere to learn how to teach it. So tonight, as I’m scrolling through Instagram, I happen across Southeastern’s page that says: “Do you have a desire to reach the nations with the gospel through teaching English?” Lo and behold, Southeastern is now offering a Teaching English as a Second Language certificate. It even laid out the classes for this Fall and the classes for the Spring to complete the certificate.

So, as Alex has blindly walked in faith going the direction the Spirit has led her, God has, in one week’s time, given her a clear direction and even laid out the schedule of events for her to complete the task.  She will take the certificate classes at Southeastern to learn how to teach English, all while gaining the experience of teaching English to refugees. Then I know in my heart that God will swing open wide the opportunity for her to return to Ukraine. Our family verse in Psalm 37:23 says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly and He delights in every detail of their lives.” Earlier in that Psalm it says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

As Alex said to me tonight in joyful tears, “I now see how when you follow God in obedience, He literally lines up everything for you when it’s time.”

“I will be found by you, says the Lord.”