Where my trust is without borders

In exactly one mouth from now, I will be embarking on the trip of a lifetime. I will be on a plane flying to Australia.

Recently I have been thinking about my trip a lot more than usual and contemplating a very important question as far as my time there.

Why?

Why am I going to Australia? Now, this may be the question that a lot of you have or are asking me, but ironically, I am asking myself the same question. Allow me to walk you through an incredible journey that has only just begun.

The Spring of 2013, I purchases this song on iTunes after hearing it at Clemson FCA called Oceans by Hillsong United. Some of you may have heard it. For the longest time, I would listen to it and never grew tired of it, but I never fully listened to the message.

"...Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, where ever you would call me...Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith would be made stronger, in the presence of my Savior..."

I would be disappointed if you have not heard this part because they repeat it a few times. It never really hit me what the actually meaning of the song was until I was listening to it as a freshman in college. PETER WALKED ON WATER. Jesus asked Peter to trust Him with something that was literally impossible to human standards and the LORD defied human expectations through a mere mortal. What could Jesus do in my life that I can live with a faith that knows no borders?

So, January of 2014, I set my New Year Resolution to be to conquer fears. That was my one goal to focus on. Now, I have always wanted to study abroad ever since I could remember, but as I dove deeper and deeper into the world of college and college friends, I realized that going away for four months was going to be a scary thing. Let me back track a little. As classes in the spring started, I felt the Lord was telling me to conquer my first fear. Singing in public. The mere thought back in January sent my stomach to the ocean floor and my head like a hot air balloon. But I signed up for the class, told not a single soul and confessed my intentions to my music teacher who very confidently said that I would conquer that. The first time I sang for the class, I finished the song and immediately started weeping. Not because I thought I did terrible, but because I DID it! I literally did not care that I sounded like a deaf goat, what mattered to me was the God said it and I did it. That to me was the most rewarding thing.

Another one of my fears was opening up to people. This was a little less dramatic than singing in public, but it was nonetheless extremely intimating. Through this openness, I found my best friend for life, I was able to forgive relationships from my past, I was able to meet a group of friends whom I never would have met before, I met the most Godly guy who happens to be pursuing me, I was able to confide in people again, and I started to see that I am worthy of others' time.

A third fear the Lord called me to conquer was living in Clemson this summer and taking classes. This was more of a fear of man than a fear that initiated acid reflux. What would my friends back at home think? Will then shun me? Will I fail these classes? Will I have any friends here? Throughout this summer though I have boosted my GPA, had the opportunity to do design work for the Engineering Department, and discovered a blooming passion of mine. Oh yeah and I learned how to grocery shop.

Now back to Australia. This was the year to conquer fears, and it just so happened to coincide conveniently with the year I could study abroad; this I struggled to know if it was a selfish decision or God calling me. Obviously, He would not have called me to study abroad if He did not intend to use it. Which brings me to your question, why am I going to Australia? The simple answer, to conquer a fear and travel the world. This is not a fear of darkness or insufficient talent, this is a constant fear of safety and success. I love the beach, the ocean, warm places, "English", and straight chilln', but I do not know anyone going, I will not have met my roommates, I do not have any family or friends over there, and I have no idea what to pack. So the fear I am carrying with me is the uneasiness in being provided for. However, I serve a God who was with me in my singing class, who was there to provide good friends to me, and is there in Australia right now, paving the way for every step I take and every fear I will have.

Which brings me to my own question, why am I going to Australia? Honestly, I do not know the reason. Now understand, apart from me KNOWING for a fact that God has set apart this time for me to go, and I take great responsibility in listening, I do not fully know the PURPOSE of why I am going. And I plea to you, if you have made it this far in the post, to pray with me and for me. I do not waste time. As many of you may know me, I take every opportunity I can to take any opportunity I can. I am one who takes advantages of chances and even take risks. But I see this as quite possibly a once in a lifetime chance, and I intend to spend every moment searching for the reason God wants me over there.

I have ideas, premonitions, dreams of what my time will produce, but as I have learned, my Heavenly Father has a way of planning something inconceivable and immensely better than I could ever had imagined. Seriously. So I will not let a slight change in my location, time, studies, friend group, family, attention, environment, focus, clothes, diet, language, destination, etc, to alter the prayer that I have been praying all year:
"SPIRIT lead me WHERE my TRUST is WITHOUT BORDERS, let me walk upon the WATER, WHEREVER you would CALL me, take me DEEPER, than my FEET could every WANDER, and my FAITH would be made STRONGER, in the PRESENCE of my SAVIOR."

My Father has called me to go to Brisbane, Australia, and I am scared out of my mind. I am leaving the security of my family, best friends, boyfriend, college, apartment, state, city, climate (geez yes) and comfort to go somewhere that I have NO family, NO friends, NO comfort,  and NO familiarity. I asked my LORD to strength my trust, to give me a trust that is without borders, so He is taking me ACROSS THE WORLD. He is taking my feet through airports, cities, towns, schools, houses, churches, cars, and trains, where I have never seen before. He is allowing me to lack some knowledge of my whereabouts not so that I would wander aimlessly but so I can submit to His power to PROVIDE for me. He is calling me to a country surrounded by water that boasts of oceans and reefs and worlds of wonder that are deeper than anything I have every imagined in my life. He HAS called me to conquer fears because I ASKED Him to bring me INTO HIS PRESENCE.

Beloved, ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

From August 25-December 15 I am embarking on the journey of a lifetime. Not to get away and travel and waste time, but to know my Savior and live a life of uninhibited and unashamed trust.