update #2 - perspective shift

"every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground" -- Judith Thurman

I'm a bit behind on blog posts, so I'm going to pretend like today is Tuesday and give you an update. Just go with it. ;)

So, if you read my update from a couple of weeks ago, you know that I've been back in the States since July and am currently preparing to return to Spain for (at least) three years. As part of this preparation, I have the opportunity to share with friends and family what God has been doing in Spain and what He's calling me be part of there, and invite them to invest in this work. It can be an emotionally, mentally, and physically draining thing for me - an introvert - to do day in and day out.

But God has been amazingly faithful, giving me strength, rest, and peace through it all.

Actually, it's not just that He gives me those things, but that He IS those things. God has become my strength, my rest, and my peace through this journey. I don't go looking to Him to give me momentary peace and rest when I'm tired because He is not momentary but eternal - the beginning and end. He is my continual rest, my constant peace, my everlasting strength. There is no way those things - which are characteristics of Christ - can leave me as long as it is His life (not my own) living in and through me.

And that has caused my whole perspective to shift.

It is no longer about having enough strength to make it through a day, morning, conversation. It is not about how quickly I can raise the funds I need to get back to Spain. It is not about how much sleep I can get to have the energy to keep going through this stage of the journey.

It's all about Jesus.
Just Jesus.

My focus has turned away from the things that can so often get me down or stress me out and to the One thing that matters: seeking to know Christ more fully. And it's so beautiful what this has done to my whole world. As I look to Him, all I can see are the ways in which He's provided for me in the past - and is clearly continuing to provide.

I used to be so scared of the idea of raising support for my salary, but I've come to see the incredible blessing it is to live in complete reliance on God's provision for my needs. It's no longer about the dollars, but about seeking more of Him and trusting that He will continue to provide as He always has - this time in a new, "non-traditional" way.

And oh, what a wonderful thing it is when He chooses to provide through gifts from dear friends and family! I love getting to share in Him and His work in this way. It creates quite a community when people come together for a cause. And I can't even begin to tell you how blessed I feel to be part of a community and family like this. Wow.

(Note: if you'd like to know more about what God is doing through CRM in Spain, please feel free to write me! I'd love to share more about it.
ALSO, if you feel led to partner with CRM in this, please follow this link and type "Mikaela McGee" in the search box to make a donation to my fund.)


Please post questions or comments below to continue this conversation!

♥
mk