7 days away and 3000 dollars out; this is a cry out

Countdown to l’Afrique: 1 week; 7 days; 168 hours
Support raised: 2300
Support still needed: 3000

Six months ago, I was standing in front of this girl I didn’t know at DCC when my life was changing drastically and I didn’t even know it.  She went to a West African summer project last summer, and she’d just stood up with her team in one of the smaller seminars to talk to a room of people interested in going to Africa this summer.  I couldn’t tell you why I’d picked that room.  Indecisive, as always, I walked up and down the corridor to choose one of the informational meetings on a specific project.  Finally, I chose the room at the very end of the hallway with a big poster reading “Côte d'Ivoire” across the front.  I didn’t even know what part of Africa that was in.

After the meeting, a few of the girls were standing outside of the room, and I was just looking at some of the pictures from the project that were set up on the poster. One of them asked me if I was thinking about going.  I kind of laughed and told her it’d be really cool and all, but that it wasn’t very probable.  I was about to walk away when she said, “If it’s about money, don’t let that stop you.”  I didn’t say anything about money, so I just said okay and started to leave, but she still called after me, “I was 2800 dollars away from my support goal less then 2 weeks away from the trip, and it all came in.  Don’t let it be about the money!”

The funny thing is that it wasn’t about the money at all then.  But it was like there was this Spirit living in her that is all-knowing or something and spoke those words because He knew I’d need them now…

I applied to the trip in a haze.  One minute it wasn’t even a possibility, and the next I was on the phone with the original project women’s director, being accepted.  But she also told me the project had changed and that she would no longer be going on the trip. 

My project was now venturing to Togo.  We were departing on the 26th instead of the 31st, and we were raising $5250 instead of $4800.  Less time, more money.  But I accepted.  Because money and time didn’t change where I knew Jesus was calling me to plant my feet this summer. 

And it still doesn’t.

The support I’ve raised so far came in very quickly and in bulk.  It was incredibly encouraging.  And then it stopped coming in. 

I am on my hands and knees; I do not regularly ask for help, so all of this has been terribly humbling.  I have these 2 facts at war in my head. 
On one side: 3000 dollars?!  In 7 days? I have no idea where that is going to come from.
On the other side: 3000 dollars?!  In 7 days?  Good thing the Lord is sovereign; good thing I’m confident of what He’s called me to.  Good thing He’s not worried about this trip, or His work in me and in Africa, and He’s most certainly not freaking out right now thinking, “Oh no, how am I going to provide this money?”  I almost have to laugh when I think about the other side of the war in my head. 

So I tell my heart to tell my head that I know who the Lord is, and I know what He promises, and I know that, as a friend reminded me yesterday, God does not just make orders that He can’t pay for. 
I tell my heart to tell the stress-induced hives on my legs, the empty stomach that can’t keep down real food, and this weary soldier soul that’s still persevering by the strength of the Lord that I will make it to Africa just fine.  Because I will. 
Because He wills.

Someone from MoBap who has no idea that I’m struggling raising this support (I’m not entirely sure who they are) sent out a text at this very moment:
“Only people who are resting constantly in the righteousness of Christ will be able to risk it all wholeheartedly for the glory of Christ.”

So I will abide in Jesus in confidence of His righteousness.  I will remain in and rest in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.  I will trust in the God who commands, 

Cease striving, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
                                                       PSALM 46 : 1O

Because it’s the only way I can risk this all wholeheartedly.  My pride and my grip on control.  I have to risk that wholeheartedly to glorify Christ.