I’m starting with the last, working backwards. This letter was sent from Cyprus.
Photo by Colleen Moore
My first email that I composed to you all was lengthy. It went through my life of the past and detailed the last several months. The real story however, is simple. It’s not about who you were, it’s about who you become. Yes , when you let , no not ‘let’ but you FULLY embrace God , giving every part of you to Him, that,’s when you live.
All our lives we have been given the freedom of choice, God has allowed this. Just like He turned the other way and let people throughout history worship and live how they wanted. Despite God giving us a way to know the difference between good and evil through his commandments he gave the Israelite’s. He also gives us choices, even after he sent his Son with signs, teachings and a much simpler way to please Him. ( let alone that Jesus sacrificed his life that we may live!) Yet, we still make poor choices. We hear and don’t listen and do. Yet, God still believes in and loves us!
I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour when I was 12, and then for 37 years I did not foster a relationship with God as I could have. When you accept Christ it opens the door for us to know God, but that’s still a choice. I, however, took other paths my whole life. Praise be to God, He remained in me, protecting and guiding me. He has saved my human life many times. Saved how? Finding me ways out of abusive relationships, from alcohol addiction, from using sex for a replacement of love that I was forever seeking.. and….from taking my own life.
So this journey I am on, its not mine. My mother thinks I have made this ‘Choice’ to live this way, she struggles to understand giving up every material thing, she struggles to accept and understand how I live and survive with no means of income. I do it through Faith! God will always provide for our needs, He knows what they are.
I admittedly struggle with this at times as well. As well as questioning how much of a difference I am truly making. When I read about Jesus and his deciples, the Bible talks about how they have brought thousands to Him. Here I am, still such a loner and just have so few in my life. What difference am I making? But then, God reminds me, directs me back to the journals He has asked me to write. When he set me on this journey he said , the first part will be healing. Turns out that it was not only my healing, but the healing I have brought to others. God said that on my journey He will bring people to me. He has done exactly this! And it started the very day after he gave me that message before I even left the states. And to this day he is still bringing people into my life for me to help. Our International group is comprised of many people that God has put in my path along the way.
God has also told me that I will not always be alone on my journey. I have not! Every key moment and time that I needed someone, there they were! When I was stranded in Findland God had put a person in my path, He was also stranded and he needed my help. God had provided me with means and I shared everything I had with this person. All the while I praised, believed and trusted in God’s plan as this person and I faced so many obsticals. And those ‘ obstacles ‘? They were ways that God was putting me back on the correct route to get to my destination ( here in Cyprus) but they were also used to show my fellow stranded companion that with unwavering faith in God, we would survive!
Through my journey I have learned to conquer the constant battle we have with ourselves, which is our own thoughts. My dear Friends, Philipeans 4:8, is your guide to that. Use it daily, hourly, minute by minute if you have to, but you can have peace of mind!
I have discovered my gifts. He has been constructing and grooming these my entire life! I started writing when I was very young. I was groomed by my mother to be a leader when she tought me how to supervise people. And my entire life I have worked in some form of customer service, supervisor and have been trained in healing. All this God has used! He has also used every sort of event in my life where I had made the wrong choice, taking a path he did not intend for me, ones that He had warned me not to take. He has turned every bit of that around and uses it now for helping others.
Through my journey I have learned to search my heart. To question if what I want is what matters to God. None of my choices are rash, I assure you. I pray. This too is something I have learned to do much differently. I am well aware that Jesus says ” ask in my name and you will be given what you ask for.” But we also know that God has a plan for us all. So there is a struggle from within on how to pray and what to ask for when God already has a plan. But when we pray and ask for guidance, for knowledge, for peace, for words and patience. If what we seek is not a part of God’s plan He works within us to change our hearts to match His calling. But we have to be willing to let Him. That is what giving up our lives is!
So my dearest of friends, people I have met along the way and all that I have sent this email to ( because I was compelled to just hit send all, as we never know who’s heart and life will be affected). My Journey, my calling, has been as a servant, as a student, and as a leader. And the lesson and message is simple……LOVE!
GOD bless you all, no matter how we know each other, from the past or present and some on the list may be ones I come to know better in the future. But I bless you all and pray for each one of you that you too will make the choice to choose Jesus.
I love you all!
Keep God close,
Colleen Moore
#plantingseedsalongtheway
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