It’s never what you thought..

God has things planned for you, whether you know it or not… there are so many things in this life that seem so uncertain, but you must realize that in God’s eyes, everything is certain.  Everything has a purpose and everyone who chooses to follow Him will walk in the goodness of His purpose.

It wasn’t easy committing to join In His Wakes, preparing to join them and even following through with actually joining them!  But like I said, the things that God leads me to do when I want to just glorify Him will seem kind of crazy sometimes.  But God has always provided for me though, He’s always provided the things I’ve needed throughout my life here on earth and I think that we sometimes forget that in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with people.   When you put your trust in Jesus Christ, that doesn’t just mean you’re saved from your sins and you will go to heaven if you die.  But it also means that if you trust Him every day with all that you have and all that you are, then He will be the Lord over your “whole” life every day.  


If I did not follow through with this decision, I might of not known how God wanted to use me in sharing the gospel with others through waterskiing… I might of not known what it was like to wake up and literally have the only thing on my agenda being sharing Christ with people.  I might of not known how much I enjoy getting to help lead others in worship at some of the events with the musical gifts God has given me.  


There’s so many things that I know God has for me that I haven’t even touched on yet, probably for different reasons.  Maybe it’s been timing on things, or maybe it’s been my fears getting in the way sometimes.   But one thing I know for sure, is that I never want anything to be held from me in this life and in the life to come because of my fears.  I want to serve and walk with my Lord forever, wherever He takes me.  


John 14:27  “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”


I’ve realized that God really wants to help us overcome any and every obstacle that comes up in this life.  But in order to do that we have to put away with our fears, and we have to trust God with everything that we have and that we are.  Fear, doubt and corruption comes from the enemy (Satan).  But faith, trust and truth comes from God.  


I started making plans about 9 months ago to join In His Wakes for this year.  There’s been lots of preparation, prayer and getting things worked out for while I’m gone.  So, anyways, in the beginning of April I drove to Orlando and was getting ready to drive up to Keystone Heights the next day to hop on the IHW bus.  But the night that I arrived in Orlando, something began speaking to me, telling me that “I wasn’t going to be able to do it even with the Lord’s help, and that it was going to be too much for me to handle even with the Lord’s help.”  
This “something” that was talking to me was none other than Satan.  He began trying to convince me that I wasn’t good enough to join the crew, and that I was going to get stuck in tons of situations that I wouldn’t be able to handle….  I can’t even remember all of the lies that he tried speaking to me, but I never once gave into the temptation.   I never once came into agreement with him.  As I was about to go to sleep that night, I told Satan; “I’m waking up tomorrow, driving to Keystone Heights, getting on that bus, and with all my heart, I’m gonna serve God and the kids/people that He puts in front of me.” 


Because of what Christ did on the cross for me, I have the power to say “no” to the enemy.  Jesus came to save me and you, but also (like it says in 1 John 3:8) “… the Son of God came that He might destroy the works of the devil.”  Because of Christ, I can now walk in freedom to love, to live and to persevere like never before in my life.


That’s the thing, we will all be enticed, tempted, drawn, or however you want to look at it from all different kinds of sources that Satan will use, but God offers the same thing to all of us, no matter what our background is, no matter where we’ve come from or what lies we’ve believed at some point in our lives.  God offers all of us “life eternally”, and in this life, “life more abundantly”.   


I’m learning to deny the enemy of his power in my life.  Satan did not purchase me, but God did through Jesus Christ.  I belong to Him and no one (or anything) else.  Satan has no right to rule my life unless I give him permission to.   For instance, God’s Word says in Matthew 6:34 “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own evil.”   But the enemy on the other hand tries to tell me; “you need to worry, you need to be afraid of the unknown, God will not provide for you!”   From there I have the choice to come into agreement with God’s word and trust Him or to come into agreement with Satan’s word and doubt God.


Whether you are a believer or not reading this right now, I want to tell you from my own life, that every single day, God has provided for me the things that I’ve needed.  Sure there are plenty of times when I’m not perfect, there are times when I have worried, there are times when I have made mistakes, but at the end of the day I can thank God knowing that He has been my provider.  There’s been times when I’ve prayed for work so that I can have the finances that I needed, and God provided.  There’s been times when I’ve had friends struggling with finances or physically struggling.  And I’ve gone to my God in prayer and He’s provided in amazing ways for their needs as well.  
I want to end by saying that taking this leap of faith in joining In His Wakes already has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life.  God has provided the support for me financially, He has provided the food that I need, the shelter that I need, the friends that I need and love to be with… and on top of all that I get to use something I love (waterskiing), to help others overcome fears, experience joy and hear the Truth of God for maybe the first time in their lives.

Matthew 6:32-33 “…For your Heavenly Father knows all the things that you need.  So seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things shall be added unto you.”