More Old Testament Inspiration

"Whether it was two days or a month or a long time that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, resting upon it, the Isrealites would remain in camp and not set out, but when it was lifted, they would set out"
Numbers 9:22

Since about 10th grade I have been pretty sure that God was calling me to be a youth minister. It started more or less because I was mad that my church never really had an active youth group and definitely never had a youth minister and upon going to friends youth groups and coming more into the understanding of the need for good youth ministers I figured it was a good plan of action. Then once I started working at camp and then E-team and being in actual ministry positions, I was hooked and felt a much stronger calling towards youth ministry.
Well for the first few years I was kind of locked into the idea of being the standard youth minister for some youth group at some church, and if that ends up being the position that God calls me towards then awesome I will do it with a joyful heart, but within the past year I have had this feeling of something BIGGER.

However, God being the joker that He is, hasn't quite revealed what that something is. Several different paths have been laid on my heart and sparked my interest. One such path is still very much youth ministry but rather than on the church level it would be more on a director kind of level. Like being a retreat coordinator or getting involved with some organization that sponsers different youth events (like Cultivation Ministries or something). Then there has been the kind of farfetched idea of being a motivational speaker of sorts, you know, going around and giving talks, particularly on purity (a la Jason Evert). Of course there is also my goal of writing my book one day, which while it wouldn't neccesarily be targeted towards solely youth, it would be relevant.

Since about October though, I have had this very strong desire to do some kind of mission work, something more than just organizing talks and meetings, but outreach. It started by flipping through a book at the state Catholic student retreat that was full of different organizations and missions around the country and the world. I felt very inspired by it all, and for the first time felt like God might be calling me to do something not-standard with my life, something that would involve a lot of going around and just purely doing his work a life that didn't quite include the husband and kids that I had always forseen in my future. It was crazy, but at the same time really cool to think about.

The idea of doing some mission work within the next few years (not neccesarily as a career though) is still very much on my heart and was sparked even more so this past week at Cru when a guy named Will came and talked about summer projects and other missions sponsered through Campus Crusade. That night had a quote and the next day I found the verse I posted above and they very much went hand in hand.

The quote was: "Working for God is not a job, it's an adventure."

The reason why both struck me so strongly is because they got me thinking about what my life would be like if God took me on some crazy life adventure just full or ministering to people and doing his work. You know, the kind of people who just have really adventure filled life, who have been all over and have great stories...that's the kind of life I was thinking about. Just letting God take the keys and take me wherever He wanted, when he wanted.

That's, in a way, they way they Isrealites were. Whether it was a few days or a few months they came and went as God directed them and their lives centered around His timing.

Ahh Ahh Amazing. What fun.

God puts you were He needs you when He needs you to be there.