As we continue our journey, and start a new season of support raising, I am blown away already by the response. We just landed in the states a month ago, so I’ve been sending emails out and have already gotten so many positive responses! I sent an email out to a local church, not even asking for support, and two seconds later I got an email saying they gave $500! The first weekend we came back to NY, we got invited to drive out to Oswego, my old college town, to speak at the church I attended back in college 15 years ago. Of course there has been some challenges, and backlash is hard, but we focus on the prize and eternal rewards in Jesus!
So here is one story that has touched me so much since we’ve arrived back in the states! The Lord has recently asked me to give up daily coffee. I’ve been realizing its been an addiction and seeing that I’ve been “needing it”. He has given me complete peace about having it once in a while, if its used specifically for ministry. I recently saw the movie, “Lion” (I completely recommend it), and God used it to touch me so much. The usual, what am I living for, go all in for Christ, we were made to transform this world, etc. The Holy Spirit said gently, surrender your addiction to coffee. I agreed in my heart. The very next day, I get THIS message from a good friend from Canada I met during YWAM:
“Okay so when I was praying about supporting you guys, I got something a little different.. I feel like I’m supposed to give you guys money for coffee.
As we all know the coffee culture in Australia is huge and at home I’m discovering how coffee dates in itself is like a ministry. The ways I’ve been able to encourage people as well as be encouraged is insane and its all because of a cup of coffee!
And I was also reminded of right before outreach when you guys were struggling to get the funds and God told you guys to go and treat yourselves and trust Him, even though you where scraping pennies, and buy a coffee. And only a few days after that, God dropped $20,000 on you guys! Crazy! And in a way I feel like that is prophetic. Whether it be with students, staff, strangers, each other, or whoever, coffee dates are going to bring about HUGE things for you (or the other person) and insane things are going to come from it!
So I feel like God is going to use coffee dates as a ministry for you guys. And because of that I feel really at peace in supporting you guys in this way. This way you won’t hesitate to agree to a coffee or suggest a coffee because of money!
This may have not been what you guys expected, because I sure didn’t! But I hope you guys are going to be blessed by it!”
It’s funny, God asks us usually to give something up to check our hearts, then sometimes when we give that “thing” up, He graciously gives is back. This happened to me when I was dating Timothy, God asked me numerous times to give him up (after many confirmations I was supposed to marry him), and it was so hard, but I obeyed, and a month after not speaking with him, he proposed. Just like Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac.
It’s always a heart-check with God. Now going forward, I only want to have coffee for ministry purposes. Not to stop and get one on my way home, or make an excuse to go out in the morning for one. Now if you are a daily coffee drinker, I am not judging you by ANY means. Everyone has different convictions and need to follow their own. Obedience in our own personal relationship with God is key. To anyone in full-time ministry or not, I hope this story encourages you. God wants to replace anything that takes the place of Him with Himself. He is the only one that can fill that void. Not coffee, food, relationships, pornography, a job, friendship, spouse, kids, etc. He is a good Father, and just wants to bring you back to His love!