I remember it like it was yesterday. There I was, floating down the Nile River in Uganda on a white water rafting excursion with 15 other folks from my church. All geared up in our life vests, we happened to be going through a slower, more serene stretch of water. In the stillness, I looked around and took it all in - the beauty around me, the uniqueness of the experience - and in that moment, I heard God whisper.
"You know that scripture Nicole? That one that says to seek first my Kingdom and then everything else will be added to you? Yeah, well this is what I'm talking about."
And right then I got it. The realness of that scripture penetrated my heart. And it transitioned from something I understood conceptually to something that reflected the very truth of God himself.
See, because I had no idea when I signed up for this mission trip that I'd have this incredible experience. In fact, we came to build homes for orphans and widows and to volunteer at a babies' orphanage. I was prepared to sleep in huts and take showers in cold water every few days if I was lucky. I had one agenda and that was to serve God. To be a part of the manifestation of the love of Jesus Christ in people's lives. I was there to seek His kingdom, even if that meant sacrificing my own comfort.
And while we had put in some serious physical labor that previous week (whew, hand mixing concrete is freaking hard!) our missions trip leadership team had put together this surprise for us. And it wasn't the only surprise I'll have you know. The day before we'd gone on a safari. We were literally rolling around in jeeps with no tops (I mean, the jeeps had no tops. We weren't rolling around with no tops. I mean, can you imagine topless missionaries? Ha! Ok I digress) getting up close and personal with giraffes, lions, elephants and a bunch of other animals I can't remember because I'm a city girl, and, well, city girls don't do animals. :)
The truth is that we set out to seek God's kingdom and He added so much more. Of course, the spiritual blessings that I received during that trip were far more significant than any safari or white water rafting excursion. But what I really felt God saying to me in that quiet moment on the Nile was that He knows my desires. All of them. Even the ones that seem unspiritual (like a desire to travel on a regular basis or to try great restaurants around town). And when I choose to make God and His purposes the center of my life on a daily basis instead of the pursuit of pleasure, He will bless me more than I could have thought possible. And I will be able to appreciate His blessings more healthily instead of becoming fixated on the next thing that I want.
As many of you know, my family is in a wonderful season of transition. With this season, however, comes some uncertainty and logistics that still need to be worked out. My prayer is that my trust is rooted securely in God, and that whenever I want to get bogged down by the details, I would think back on that moment on the Nile and would hear him say:
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously,
and he will give you everything you need.
(Matthew 6:33)
and he will give you everything you need.
(Matthew 6:33)
