We leave in one day!

Are you nervous yet? Are you anxious yet? Are you fearful yet?
Take a minute and write out what you are nervous, anxious, and fearful of.

Is it flying?
Is it disease?
Is it the different culture?
Is it being far away from home?
Is it leaving someone behind?

What do these fears communicate to you? What do they tell you about your perception of God? What does it tell you about your perception of your faith?

Guatemala seems scary because it is foreign and far away. We tend to fear unknown because we have become accustomed to the dangers we face everyday. We feel as though we have some kind of control over the ordinary and familiar, when in reality we don't. I have not heard anyone communicate that they are afraid of the bus ride to the airport. Why not? It is just as dangerous as anything else we are doing! But we are familiar with bus rides.

It all boils down to one thing: SAFE IS A MYTH! I am not talking about recklessness, and unwise choices, like balancing on a rope . That is not so much dangerous as it is stupid and reckless. The Bible places much weight on making wise choices and acting prayerfully and wise in our choices.

But there is something that I have learned this past week. Safe is a myth. You are either doing what god wants, or you are not. You are either in God's will or you are not.

God can use your fears to teach you about yourself and what your faith is made of. It is easy to put on the mask of a strong faith and pretend we are fine. But God sees through our masks and sees our actual condition. So God can use a trip like Guatemala to teach you things about yourself.

In reality, God runs the universe and is looking out for us, even during tough times. A simple sentence that takes a lifetime to live out. God can watch over your loved ones better than you. God can keep a bus safer than you. God can keep a plane saffer than you can. God can keep us safe as we work on our projects better than you can. God is FULLY CAPABLE to protect you and keep you. He is stronger, wiser, more caring, more loving, more capable than you or me.

It is okay to feel fear. It is okay to cry over leaving loved ones behind for 8 days. It is okay to be a bit nervous. It is even okay to be scared out of your mind! But it is not okay to let fear dictate your life and decisions. That is idol worship.

Listen to this song and make the lyrics a prayer in preparation for our trip. Ask god to communicate what your fears reveal about your faith and perception of Him, your God. Do you trust Him? Why or why not?

Aaron Shust: Stillness (speak to me)