Yesterday at work we spent the entire day cleaning out and rearranging an offsite storage building. Not my most favorite thing in the world to do but hey... someones gotta do it. Doing this all day gave my mind plenty of time to wander. I got to thinking about my trip to China. That truly was a life changing trip. For one, I broke my foot and got to experience first hand how bad China's medical system is. But most of all, It planted a seed in my heart for the people of China. Actually I wouldn't call it a seed. Id say it planted a 200 year old oak tree in my heart, with roots that will never be dug up.
Before the departure date I couldn't believe I was going to China! It didn't seem real to me. I was going to be in the land of the rising sun. Where the 2008 Summer Olympics were just held. Where the Great Wall of China is. A place that I had seen on TV and read about in history class or seen in movies. I never thought I, Joshua Dryer, would be going to China. While I was there, it seemed to go so fast. We made connections, built relationships, and were immersed into a culture not like ours. As we drove to the outskirts of Beijing to see the Great Wall. I searched the horizon trying to catch a glimpse of the wall, in awe that soon id be standing on a wall thats been a structure for centuries. It was breath taking. But soon we were on a plane back to the United States. We left with memories, videos, and pictures. And thinking wow... what an experience.
A year and 5 months later, while cleaning out a storage unit in Ozark Missouri, I was thinking and it HIT me... Wow I was in China. I still couldn't believe it! Memories flew through my mind. Memories of a place I hope to go back to and make more memories.
Isn't it amazing how God works? If you would have told me in High School when I was studying about China that I'd be going there in 3 years I would have laughed at you. But yet, God had a plan, he knew all along. When Moses sent Joshua and Caleb to explore the promise land, Joshua had no idea that one day He would be leading the nation of Israel across the Jordan River into the promise land. Yet God knew all along. Once they crossed, Joshua build an altar in remembrance. While in China, although I didn't physically gather stones and build a altar to remember what God did in my life, God built one in my heart so that I'll never forget. God has a plan that is being played out daily in your life. You may not know why your at the job your at or why your school is forcing you to take a certain class just to get a degree, but God does. He's setting you up and preparing you for his work. In one of our Leadership College chapels I was asked to tell about an outreach we had just done in Joplin Missouri. I didn't know id be speaking so I had planned anything. I began to talk from my heart and soon the Holy Spirit took over. I said something that I didn't realize the implications until after I said it. "This is big league stuff. Were going to go out from here and change the world. All of us." What your doing in your walk with the Lord and in your daily life is big league stuff. You may not realize it till later... when it HITS you.
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This is really good Josh! Makes you really think and evaluate everything and place God puts you at. All are preparing grounds for something much bigger. I truly believer Leadership College is one of those prepping grounds. We are being equipped as leaders and ministers of of the Gospel. That's one of the things I felt like God was speaking to me about. It hit me on Mission's Sunday at JRC as we were watching the video. Felt God say, "Kristen, I have given you tools and resources here." Although I am still learning how to use those tools, but I find the Holy Spirit reveals how to use our resources in every situation God places us in and in every opportunity we are given. Thanks for sharing! Can't wait for our next school year! =)
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