Go

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."

Last week, we took the DTS to YWAM Australia's National Leaders Meeting (NLM). Ever since I came on staff I've wanted to go to an NLM. People from all over Australia come together for 3-5 days of worship, prayer, teaching, and some good "catching up time".

This particular NLM marked the 25th birthday of Australian Mercy, a group within YWAM Oz that funds international mercy projects like BuzzOff--a project that provides mosquito nets to malaria prone areas and projects that work with refugee children who face horrific injustice everyday. 

These are incredible projects.

Inspiring.

Worth Honoring.

The stories are unbelievable.

These weren't what challenged me the most.

What made everything in me want to run harder, faster, stronger (Kanye, anyone?) was an 86 year old man I met last Wednesday night. We'll call him Phil. 

Phil is a retired physician from Australia.

Any other normal 86 year old would be loving life in a retirement community right now. Chess anyone?

But Phil is loving life along the border of Thailand and Burma. About three times a year, Phil goes into villages and runs health clinics--teaching the community basic healthcare and lending his expertise.

When he comes to a mountain path he can't conquer on his way to teach, villagers pick him up and carry him the rest of the way.

What challenged me is a woman named Marion, who runs a fruit confectionery factory in Cambodia--employing victims of landmines. God invited her to go to open the business when she was 76 years old. She didn't have any prior knowledge about factory work before then. 

What challenged me was the man who was asked by God to start Australian Mercy. The cost to do it was way too high in all respects. But he said "I'll do it anyway. I'm willing. Use me." Now, 25 years later, I watched this man as he soaked in what God has down and is continuing to do.

We don't have expiration dates. 

God uses ANYONE who say's "I'm here! Use me!" 

And He'll do something amazing.

The cost is always high.

The payoff outweighs it. 

The payoff is God getting the glory!

It's transformation.

It's the best relationship.

The best insight I've ever received into running with, to, and after God is that

the question is never "Is it worth it? But is He worthy? And the answer is always yes."

These are the people who inspire me--who challenge me to dive into the Word, to persevere, and to grab hold of and soak in the joy of it all. 

He is a beautiful God.