THE Reason

Have you ever gotten into a rut... with your job, with church, with life? Please say yes so that I know I'm not the only one!!

Anyway, I was there last week. Well, I think I had been there for a while and was in desperate need of some rejuvination. The thing that made me upset though is that I had no reason to feel like I was in a rut! My church is amazing, my friends are wonderful and my family is the best ever. To top all of that off, I have an amazing job that not only allows me to travel the world, but as I do that, I'm able to impact the lives of people for the Kingdom! Hello!! But, even in ministry, it's easy to get into a rut. One thing I have done to try and stay out of that rut is to coach an Upward team every so often. This past fall I coached a 5yr old soccer team (oh la la!) and we just finished our basketball season where I coached a cheer squad (2nd to 5th grade). While the kids could be nuts and were often times hyped up on sugar (or so it seemed), they were adorable (as you can see below) and SO loving.

Well, even with coaching these incredible kids, I found myself in a rut. I was tired, I was anticipating all of the travel that I have during the month of March as well as moving at the beginning of April! But, God used a missionary to Bethlehem and a friend of mine to renew my soul :) Just hearing the missionary talk about how sports can bring the people in Palestine and Isreal togther and how Upward can play a part in that helped me to realize and remember that what I do at my desk each day has an eternal impact.

I've been working on some manuals that we will use in Brazil this week and much of it was mundane... but when I think about how each small task - getting those books translated, working with a graphic artist to lay them out into a printable format and then having them printed - will all fit together and allow a coach in Brazil to teach kids basketball and tell them about Christ, I realize that my life and my job have purpose.

I'm so thankful that these small things are behind the scenes because if I was able to see all that God sees in how my job affects each person who comes in contact with Upward... my head and ego would be too big to fit into a room. I'm not telling you this so that you can see how humble I'm trying to be... I'm telling you this to help you see how BIG our GOD is! I have NO CLUE how God uses each aspect of Upward. But, I'm so glad to hear the stories from coaches and kids and people who are involved in the ministry because that is what helps keep me motivated.

So, if you think about it, pray not just for me and my travels or for Upward and the ministry, but pray for all of those who are reaching the world for Christ. Regardless of your job title, if you are a believer who has a passion to live your life like Christ, then you are a missionary and the world is your mission field. It's a big challenge, but luckily we serve a BIG God.