Unsuspecting....

Four years ago tonight I received a message which would forever change my life.  I was completely unsuspecting as I wrote this....

I really feel called to missions. And God has seriously been working on my heart these last few months. But, ya know, gotta get a college degree before I get into anything too huge. 

Definitely a blessing that Klipa met you---Cause I have no clue who to ask around here. So, I have a couple questions for you. If ya don't mind. :O)

I've been doing World Changers for the last 2 years. I love it, but it's not terribly evangelistic, at least my crews haven't been. I really want to witness, like work with people, children, anyone. I'm willing to go far....Or stay close. I guess I should start close before I go far.

So, how'd you get involved? And when? Short term while in college? Week? Month? It's really overwhelming! Please, just give me any advice you may have. I'd appreciate anything. :O)

Oh and Happy Thursday!

.... I had absolutely no idea that he was writing this to me at the exact same time....

Hey Abby,

So I was just telling all of this to Miss Erika, and I wanted to tell you the same so I don't freak you out or anything ok? :o) I was telling her that I don't believe that God is leading me to pursue any relationships right now. So I didn't want you to be all worried about me stalking you or anything like that :o) Also, if I was going to pursue a relationship, I would talk to your parents about it first. But anyway, from what Miss Erika tells me about you, there aren't many girls like you around anymore. And it could never be a waste to have friendships with godly people like you. So I would love to be able to be friends as much as is possible without having ever met you.

So tell me about yourself. What has your life been like so far? What do you think God wants to do with your life in the future?

Here's my story in brief. I grew up traveling in a revival ministry with my family. I was saved when I was 5 years old and surrendered my life to the ministry when I was 12. I went to Bible college from 2001-2005 and majored in Youth Ministries with a minor in New Testament Greek. When I finished college, I went to be the youth pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Morton, Illinois. Then I resigned there last summer when our youth group came down here to Mexico and I began to believe that God wants me to move down here to serve Him. So now, I'm here for 3 months trying to learn the language and prayerfully decide if this is what God wants me to do next in my life. That's a really fast way to sum up 26 years, but that's me :o)

.... Which explains my next message....

Ok, that was funny. Really weird! You wrote me, I wrote you---at the same time. Too funny!

I'd love to chat---But, I gotta run help mom with dinner. SO, I'll clue ya in to who I am....After ballet.

:O)

.... And his response ....

Whoa! Weird. Did you just send this at the same time that I sent mine?

Anyway, I mentioned in my message that God called me to the ministry when I was 12. But I've never known anything specific way in advance. What I mean is that I've never felt specifically called to be a youth pastor or a missionary or Christian school teacher, etc. I've just known it's some type of full-time ministry. So when I finished college, God opened the door to be a youth pastor. Now it seems He's opening the door to be a missionary. So as long as that door is open, I'm gonna follow it.

How I got involved was that my youth group came down here last year and I began to sense that God wanted me here full-time. I wasn't positive, of course, but I got home and I talked to my parents, my pastor, and Brother Randy (our missionary here). And God has used all 3 of them to confirm that I should come here thus far. My pastor said, "If God calls you to this, we will support you and be your sending church." My Dad said, "If you believe God wants you there, then go and we're behind you." He also said, "You need to go down there for like an extended time, maybe a month to three months, to see how things go and discern if God wants you there." Brother Randy said, "Come whenever you can and stay for as long as you want."

I will tell you this, Abby. No matter where you want to go or what you think God wants you to do, He will make it unmistakably clear if it is really what He wants. If you want, I'll tell you sometime the whole story of how God led me to Cornerstone and all the details involved. Because really, I would have been an idiot to question if it was God's will for me. It was just so clear.

Anyway, have fun with ballet :o)

And thus began a long (very long) string of messages.  A month later we were head over heels and a year from then we were.....

Hitched!

Tonight I am remembering how I began to see God fitting the pieces of our lives together.  I'm remembering how for a split second when I saw his message in my inbox the moment I sent mine, I wondered if it was just a coincidence or.... I'm remembering how I fell in love with him with each word I read and I longed to meet the man behind it all.  I am thanking God for making His plan for our lives so unmistakably clear.

I am so thankful for my husband and the father he is to our son.  I am thankful for our story which reminds me of His perfect plan and involvement in the details of my life.  I am thankful that I was wrong; I didn't have to get a college degree before I could get into anything too huge.

~Abby