I long to travel...

My heart is always abroad, but especially today, as I hear of the disastrous earthquake that hit China. I know our planet has gone through its share of disasters, but it seems that lately there have been so many at the same time. Didn't the cyclone just hit Myanmar? Now China has experienced a huge loss. I want so badly to be there, or anywhere where I can help.

Thinking about this makes me realize how much I love to travel and seem to have a "gift" for it. At church, we've been discussing spiritual gifts and I feel that mine is serving. That's why I want to be somewhere helping clean up after a disaster, rather than giving my money to it. Even if it's local, it means something. The Red Cross and CityTeam have many opportunities to serve in this country, state, and city. I want to do this. I should do this. I will do this!

I feel God calling me to use these gifts more than I do, possibly even in my job. For now, I feel like a short term trip is what I need to do and I am excited about God's call to me. On one website I found, for an organization that does international missions, they talked about how we come up with excuses so often about why we "can't" go on a trip, usually revolving around the question of whether we can afford this financially. They said that this is where we need to utilize our faith. We need to move forward and rely on God to provide this money. I don't put my faith into practice enough. I am not a doubter. I believe God can and will do anything that furthers His kingdom, so why do I hold back from allowing Him to do this in my life? I am not only depriving myself of this opportunity but of others who could receive something from the services God provides through my hands. What am I losing by NOT trusting Him? Everything. What am I losing by trusting Him? NOTHING.

Where is God going to take me this year? I can't wait to find out.