Of Course, We ARE Excited To Have Family Close Again

Remember in this post when I said this:

As I was on my way to my retail job at 6 am on Thanksgiving, I was overwhelmed with a feeling that if someone asked me tomorrow to leave the life I have and everything in it, I would do it in a heartbeat. That is what thankful is to me. It's being so thankful for the blessings we don't deserve and harboring a willingness to give it all up for something greater than ourselves.

I knew that God would offer an opportunity to test that statement. It was coming. The sky was the limit. Bring it. God had big plans in store. But I had no idea that leaving the life I have for something greater than myself would be HERE!

Copenhagen? How exciting!

Uganda? SURE!

Guatemala? OKAY!

Lakewood, WA? WHAAAAAAT???

That's right. In less than a month we will begin our journey all. The. Way. Back. As. Far. West. You. Can. Go. Without. Leaving. The. Lower. 48.

Not so exciting.

But I'm reminded of the passage in Luke when Mary is visited by an angel that says she's going to carry the coming Messiah (You win, Mary) and her only response to the angel is, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as the Lord has said."

I'm not as lucky as Mary was to have an angel appear and tell me exactly what to do. A lot of prayer and logical thinking has to go into these decisions. But what I can learn from Mary is where ever I am going, may it be Uganda, hopefully someday, or good ol' Lakewood, WA, that I go with a servant's heart.

I don't have an amazing plan to hold babies and build wells in Lakewood, but I can be a blessing to those I encounter. One day after service, our pastor asked us if we'd been baptized by the spirit. Honestly, we were puzzled. He then encouraged us to read Acts.

I haven't read all the way through it since then, but I know that God is about transformation. Just look at Paul.

Pshhh.

So, I can go back to Lakewood knowing that I'm a different Katelyn. Or Patelyn? I have seen the change (only by the grace of God) in myself since coming out here. I can tell you one thing, before NY, this blog probably wouldn't be what it is today. In fact, when I began writing, I had no idea what it would really be about. That's the good news.

I'm going back to the same ol' Lakewood, WA, but a different Katelyn. The challenge will not only be to respond to the same ol' Lakewood that I was so desperately wanting to leave with the new me, but also to allow God's continuous and patient work in me.

A Living Sacrifice
 ¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So, here we go again. This time leaving pretty much anything that doesn't fit in the car behind. Praying that we are seeking his good, pleasing and perfect will.