I am no fool...

Two posts in one week? On a roll..While my sister is graciously putting together some new blog designs for me - I decided to create a "favorite photos" page on my blog. You can check them out using the tab at the top.

Also the main reason for this post is to share one of my new favorite quotes:

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." -Jim Elliot

Austin Stone invited J.D. Greear-pastor from the Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina-to speak last Sunday. The Summit Church has a mission to plant churches all over the world and J.D. spoke about having a love for the world, like Christ does. His sermon encouraged me to evaluate where my focus is as I prepare for the Dominican Republic. Where would I be without Jesus? I would be one of the ~1.6 BILLION unreached lost people (my heart aches when I read that reality). I did nothing to deserve His love and grace, but by the grace of God, "He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). My focus is so easily turned inward; selfishly fixating on how my own story will be told. I am not the main character - God is. His story is the one to be told. What a joy to be able to share it. Praise the Lord that He CHOSE to use me; that He CHOSE to cast me in His story at all.

So what does this quote mean to me? It means Jesus is so valuable that I would give anything to follow Him. It means I forfeit my story, for the sake of His. And what do I gain? I gain Him. I gain a heart that breaks when His breaks over a broken people. I gain love only because He loves me and shows me How to love others. I gain the freedom to laugh when He gives me joy. I gain the freedom to strengthen my faith when He allows me to experience struggles.
I gain life; meaningful, everlasting life.