Matters Over Mind
Growing up in the church, I have always been involved in ministry whether that's serving on Sunday mornings or serving alongside a team on a mission trip. Two years ago, I was supposed to go on a trip to Uganda. I have always wanted to see Africa and serve its communities. Unfortunately, Covid hit. When I heard about a trip back to Africa from my friend Lily I was immediately interested. She was all in immediately, but it took me some time to really make up my mind and finally say yes to going.
I was initially very excited, but after about a month after saying yes my life started getting a little bit more difficult. Anxieties arose over many different ideas: "Am I good enough for this trip?", "Am I actually following Jesus?", "Is God listening", etc. Questions to things that I had always been so sure of years before. These thoughts were overwhelming in stress, because my faith was under attack like it never had been before. I began looking to the Bible for answers and seeking out wisdom from mentors in my life and soon started counseling. This eventually helped, but it took months to actually see any improvement. I began seeing the idea of our mind in a different lens and how the enemy loves to attack it. I began holding back onto a promise that I never thought applied to our brain. I decided that if I couldn't shake these thoughts I'm just going to put them in God's Hands. Peace, and comfort began overflowing and I for once in several months felt like this trip is exactly what God wants me to do. I began focusing on what really matters and letting the worries of my mind fall away. I am very excited to see how God uses this trip to further the kingdom and bring me deeper in love for Him.
Jamie Powell on 6/12/2022 8:57:06 PM
Jake, my name is Jamie. I will be with you in Africa for the first 12 days of your trip. Know I am praying for you. If there is anything I can do for you in Tanzania do not hesitate to ask. I know you are going to grow on this trip. God Bless my brother.