Posted in General Posts by Liz Schmal on 5/16/2012
With the recent happenings in politics, religion has been thrown to the forefront of everyone's attention.
Unfortunately, not in a good way.
I'm not going to make this post about my personal political agenda or opinions, because honestly...I hate politics (sorry Evan ;)). But I am angry. So very angry. I have been for a while, and I have kept quiet about it for too long. It is not the people spitting harsh words at Christians that I am angry with. Quite the opposite, actually. I am furious with many people of the Christian faith. I am embarassed. I am ashamed. I am heartbroken.
Above ALL things, people of the Christian faith are called to LOVE. We are not asked to love, we are not pleaded to love, we are commanded to love. The word of God doesn't say "just love your family, your friends, and people who are just like you."
Nope.
In the book of Mark we are told to "Love your neighbor as yourself." Neighbor, coming from the Hebrew word "rea' " means those in proximity to you. That means EVERYONE we encounter in a given day,week,month, year, lifetime. This is given as the second most important thing that we should do in our lives (the first being to love God). Pointing our fingers, judging, and yelling messages of hate is NOT WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO DO. We are supposed to love others to the message of Christ. To gently guide those who are seeking the truth. Do people honestly think that telling someone that God hates them (AN UNTRUE MESSAGE) is going to make them say, "Ya know what, you're right...I'm gonna go to church now." It's ignorant. And I am so sick of ignorance. We are also called to love God with all our heart, soul, and MIND (Matthew 22:7). As Christians we should be in a constant pursuit. A pursuit of knowing as much as we possibly can about our faith, our God, and our beliefs. This way when people have questions or challenge our beliefs, we can give them answers filled with wisdom from studying the history and truth of God's word and not just filled with what we learned as a child or with something we recently read on the internet.
*(I'm not disregarding all internet resources,the reliable ones can be great learning tools...you get the idea)
It's infuriating that people are representing my faith and my beliefs in the complete and total wrong way. Not only does it break my heart, it also breaks the heart of God. My God is not a God of hate. He is the ultimate and truest definition of love.
Loving someone does not mean you have to agree with them. Loving someone does not mean that you love everything that they do or don't do.
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love does not envy .
Love does not boast.
Love is not proud.
Love does NOT dishonor others.
Love is not self-seeking.
Love is NOT easily angered.
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
Love protects.
Love always trusts, hopes, and always perserveres.
Love never fails.
I know we've all heard that verse (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) a thousand times in weddings, but that doesn't make it any less true.
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World Race Update...
My, has time flown... I am leaving for my World Race training camp this Saturday! I will be just outside of Atlanta for a week of camping (let the outdoorsy-ness begin).. yikes! I have a feeling that God is going to really stretch me this week. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous. Please pray for me this week!!! (and feel free to let me know if you are!)
I also want to thank all of my supporters again (financial and prayer)!! I can't express how much everyone's generousity and kindness means to me. I am praying for you all as well!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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Posted in General Posts by Liz Schmal on 3/21/2012
I don't even know where to start with this one. First of all, I am just in awe of God's glory and provision. Never in my life have I felt so blessed, encouraged, and sure.
Sure of what God wants for my life. He wants me to follow Him. That's all. Once I decided to do it wholeheartedly, everything literally fell into place. I have seen SO many prayers answered over the past 6 months that it just takes my breath away. I'm not saying that God never answered my prayers before, but now it’s in a way that is so evident and undeniable. He has completely paved the way for me to go on this trip. He has used my friends and family to support me in every way imaginable. I am brought to tears if I think about everyone's generosity for too long.
And it's so much more than just money. People have given me such support. Whether it's verbal affirmation, prayer, or simply letting me crash at their house (my dear siblings)! I really feel too blessed for words.
I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who is entering a new season in her life. God has blessed her with a new job that we think is going to be really great for her. We were just both in amazement of how great things become when we just surrender to His plan. We continually fight for things to be the way we want and to happen on our timeline, yet we forget that God wants his best for us. And if we seek him fully, that is what we get. I stumbled upon a verse last week that goes hand in hand with this and I could not stop smiling...
Deuteronomy 4:29
"But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul."
((context: In this passage Moses is telling the Israelites that they will someday be immersed in a culture that will worship false idols, but they can find the one true God by seeking him. It's crazy to me how applicable this can still be today. Although we may not have statues that we bow down to, we certainly put our priorities, love, and time into the wrong things.))
There is so much truth in the words of this verse. Can people find happiness without knowing God? Yes. But it is so not the same...it's not true joy. I thought I knew what happiness was....until I decided to let go of my own agenda and follow Him. I have never known joy like I do now. It's overwhelming. It's all consuming.
It's his love overflowing.
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Posted in General Posts by Liz Schmal on 2/10/2012
So I keep being reminded that this whole experience starts way before I actually leave for the Race. It started the moment I said yes. It seems that there is something new every week or so for me to battle. A wall, if you will. First it was fear. I haven't totally gotten over this one, and I don't think I ever will completely, but it has certainly gotten better. I'm trusting in the Lord, and I know He will prepare and protect me.
This week's 'wall' may actually be more difficult to tackle. It's a combination of things, but it's really just the desire and longing for normalcy. I look around at the lives of my friends and family and think "I want that." Everyone is settling down. Starting relationships. Starting marriages. Furthering careers. Buying houses.
I can't tell you how badly I desire the comfort and regularity of living in the same place for more than a year, of being in a relationship, of working a "normal" job. A part of me can't help but wish for that sense of routine.
I often sit back and think about how hard those 11 months are going to be and say to myself " Oh wow...do I really have to do this? Can't I just go later? I'm so ready to work a full-time job, find an apartment, and just be. If I am already sick of living with my stuff in storage bins at different houses-What on earth is it going to be like to live out of a backpack?" And then I have to tell myself to STOP being selfish. This is not about what I want. This is not about my plan. It is so frequent that I find myself thinking "me, me, me... I want this, I want that." But that is not how we are called to live. We are called to live a life of faith. Faith that follows His plan and not ours. What will I gain from having a successful career right now? Money? Status? Pride? Where will that get me? I can do that at any point later in my life. I find joy in the truth that if I follow His plan, and not mine, there will be no greater joy. It reminds me of this passage from Phillippians 2:1-4:
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only at your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
This tells me that I am called to serve God by serving others. And what that looks like for me, right now, is going on the World Race. Please don't get me wrong: I don't think wanting any of the things I listed earlier is wrong. I think great joy can be found in these things. I believe that you can still serve God in any career, relationship, or circumstance that you have. I believe it's fully possible to put those verses into action every day no matter where you are. All I am saying is that right now, those things are not what God has planned for me--not yet anyway :)
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Posted in General Posts by Liz Schmal on 1/27/2012
Ok. Eleven Months. Eleven Countries.
Reality is beginning to sink in. Although I am thrilled for this incredible adventure around the world, I am also terrified. I am not going to see my mom, my dad, my sisters, my brother, or my dear dear friends for ELEVEN MONTHS. The thought of missing out on a year of my three precious nieces' lives makes me cry instantly. I am going to be living out of a backpack, sleeping in a tent, filthy for most of the time, and facing all sorts of creatures in my living space. Who knows what kind of bug bites, stomach aches, and other fun things I will be faced with. I may be somewhat adventurous, but I would by no means call myself 'outdoorsy.' I can't help but think, "God, I am not made for this. I am not ready for this. I am going to be miserable."
But I know better. Of course I am drawn to the comfort of this cushy, easy life. Of course I don't want to be challenged. Of course I want to be in the same country as my family. However, I am called to do more. I have fought God for quite some time about leaving, but I knew I would have to at some point. In my stronger moments, I have a desire to risk my life for my faith. I have a desire to serve God all over the world so that others can know his name and call him father. Not everyone has that desire. Not everyone hears stories about missionaries living in unimaginable conditions and thinks "I need to do that." That is why I have to go. I am made for this. And even though I do not feel like it at this moment, I am ready for this. God has given me the passion for missions, and I can't just keep saying... "that will be great when I go overseas...someday."
Someday is now. He has been preparing me for this for years. I just didn't know it.
((Sidenote))
It really freaks me out to think about how many people are reading my most inner thoughts on this thing. Many of my teammates seem to be so excited and open about their blogs, (or blags as my dad says ;) ) but it's so much harder for me. I'm not one to say "Hey! I have something to say! Who wants to hear?" I usually just wait to be asked. In this case, however, I feel like it's important that people know why I am doing this.
Anyway... what I'm trying to get at is that I am inadequate. I could never do this alone. I need help, and lots of it. Please be praying for me. Pray that God prepares my heart for all aspects of this trip. For the heartbreaks, homesickness, any other kind of sickness, bug bites, scary creatures (I don't know why, but I can't get the image of rats out of my head!!), unsafe situations, and everything else in-between. Don't get me wrong. At the same time of all this fear and anxiety-- I am SO excited!! I cannot imagine the joy I will find on this trip. I cannot imagine the wonders that I will see! I will make new friendships that will last a lifetime. I will see God work in amazing ways. I will see the world through his eyes. I am thrilled to see how He will transform my life through this experience.
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Posted in General Posts by Liz Schmal on 1/24/2012
Hello All!
Wow. I'm really doing this!! This has already been the most incredible experience and I'm not even close to leaving yet! God has shown me such provision and guidance-- I am truly amazed by His love. I guess I will share a little bit about how this all came about. So here it goes...
Ever since I graduated college (May 2010), I had a tug on my heart that God wanted me to be overseas. For a long time, I thought it was India and actually planned on going this past fall. But because it wasn't right... it didn't happen. When I moved back to the Chicago area in August, I was constantly wondering and praying why God brought me here. I knew I was in the right place for now, but I also knew that it wouldn't be for long. So I began to pray that God would speak through my friends and family to guide me in the right direction. One day I got a bit frustrated, and a little annoyed with God and prayed that he would speak up already...and he did. Within days, I received a text message from a friend saying that I was on his mind and that he had been praying for me and he felt that he should tell me to be patient and that God has great plans for me . A few days later, my dear friend Katie told me to look into Adventures in Missions. Her friend was doing a 4 month trip to Uganda, and she thought maybe I should look into it for India.
I was thrilled by this idea. I jumped on the website and found the four month trips... but they were only for college students. Then I clicked on the link for adult and family trips. These were only for 10-14 days, and I knew in my heart I was supposed to go on a longer trip. This left me with the World Race link. Crap. I knew several people who had done it before, but I never considered it for myself. I always thought "yeah, it sounds great, except it's TONS of money and it's just too long." So when I clicked on the link I just kept thinking " no way, no way, no way...I'm not doing this." But I prayed about it anyway.
At the time, I was doing a study on Peter. The study really focused in on how God was using Peter to start the church. He is often called the rock of the church. About week after I first went on the website, I decided to pick up a book my sister had given me about a girl who became a missionary in Uganda. When I got to a certain journal entry she had written...I knew that it was no coincidence. The entry started with " I am Peter. I am the rock of the Church." Tears immediately filled my eyes, because I knew what I was being called to do. The entry ended with her saying " I am Peter. You are Peter. Jesus demands that we GO and feed his sheep. So go."
And I'm going.
Once we take that first step of faith, everything else just falls into place. I have been SO humbled by the doors that God has opened for me. Once I made the decision to go, my friends and family were more supportive than I could ever imagine. Their words and actions just affirmed my decision ten times over. This entire time, God has just been asking me to trust him, and now that I have I am just amazed and astounded by his grace. I sent out my support letters last Tuesday, and by Friday I got a call saying the rest of my trip is taken care of. I have my full support!!!! GOD IS SO GOOD. And I am so excited to see what he has planned for me in this next year and a half.
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