I've Officially Moved Sites

I've officially moved over to a new site!

You can check out my latest post about what God is speaking and what's happening here in Thailand at www.kristyjmikel.com! You can click the follow button on the page to be automatically updated when a new post is up.

I'm excited to continue to share this journey with each of you!

Humbled, Encouraged, Blessed

Two weeks ago was an absolute whirlwind.  It was a week of “see you laters”, a week of packing life back up again, and a week that came with a lot of stress as I waited, and waited, and then waited some more for my elusive Visa to show up.  In many ways, it was a lot to take in.  Yet thru the time, and looking back on it now, I’m completely humbled, encouraged, and blessed.

Humbled.

I’m humbled when I think about what it took for me to be here now.  And what it takes for me to be here.  I’m humbled by the amount of love and support I received in my time back in the States.  I’m humbled by the many “We/I pray for you’s” that I heard.  I’m humbled by the financial support of those who’ve partnered with me.  I’m truly humbled.  But I think what humbled me the most in this last week alone was what my family is and was willing to do to see me come.

As many of you know, I was waiting up until the very last minute for my Visa to arrive so I could return to Thailand.  As I got into my final week in Indiana, I began to grow a little anxious around why my Visa & passport hadn’t returned to me yet.  Upon calling the Consulate to check into the problem, it became apparent they had held onto it and not processed it for no real good reason.  Leaving me sitting on the edge of my seat hoping they would get it mailed back to me before my Monday flight.  As the weekend rolled around, I was still without them both.  I tried hard to hold onto hope that they’d arrive, but began to prep myself for worse case scenario, which would’ve included buying a new flight once the missing pieces finally showed up.  And seeing that I was also supposed to be traveling back with my friend Kate, this was less than an ideal option.  I was stressed, discouraged, and just really disheartened.  I knew people were praying and so was I, but as each day passed by, I was losing heart.

Sunday came and how I had it figured, it had to get to me that day.  Otherwise, there was just no way I was going to make my Monday flight just after noon out of Chicago (a good three hour drive from my house).  I went to church that morning trying hard not to think about it, but left a note on our door before we headed out for the mailman to leave the package even if it required a signature.  I didn’t want to risk missing its arrival.  So you can imagine my disappointment when I returned home from church to find no packages had been delivered.  My family and friends kept praying and encouraging me, “it’ll come, there’s still time”.  Sunday afternoon came and went, still nothing.  Family began to arrive for an evening cookout and it was such a refreshing and fun night together… all while in the back of my mind, I was hoping/praying for a miracle.  Sunday night came and went… nothing.  I tried running through more options of what I could do and how I could make this happen, but I was running out of ideas.

I walked back into my room and just let the tears out.  I had bottled up so much stress at this point and there was literally nothing else I could think to do.  Then, walking back out into the family room, I heard my mom talking on the phone.  She had called a neighbor of ours, whom she didn’t really even know, but knew she had at one time worked at the post office in town (where we were hoping/praying my passport had maybe gotten to over the weekend).  To keep a very long story shorter, that neighbor called a friend who worked at the post office and left her a message about my dilemma and missing passport.  She then called my mom back and talked her thru what we could do.  So at 5:45 a.m. the following morning, my mom got herself ready to get to the post office by 6 to see if she could meet up with one of the workers and discover if my passport was there or not.  Twenty minutes later, my mom returned to the house with my passport & Visa in hand.  And let me tell you there was a lot more tears!

It dawned on me in that moment just what it meant that my mom would do all that for me.  One of the hardest parts of being on the foreign mission field is that it means being so far away from family and friends.  It’s tough.  Every visit back home is so sweet, and yet every goodbye feels like I’m putting them all through a lot.  I’m no longer just a short car ride or even one plane ride away.  It’s a long way to come, and it’s usually just once a year that I get to see my family now.  So when I think about how my mom did all she could think of to see me get back here, I’m truly humbled.  Missing my flight would’ve meant more days spent there at home.  And getting my Visa & passport, would definitely mean “goodbye”.  It never dawned on me until that morning how hard it must’ve been for her to help me be able to say “goodbye” again.  Gosh the tears flow just thinking about that one.

Sitting there on the bed next to my mom with my passport in hand, through tears she just began to pray and thank God for the morning miracle and that I would now be able to go back to where He had called me to be.  Humbled.  So so very humbled.

Encouraged.

As I said, it was such a sweet time to be back home with friends and family.  Each trip back is different but something about this particular trip just refreshed my soul in rich and deep ways.  The conversations, the many cups of coffee, the time spent around the table with family, the many long mornings spent in a good book or just hanging out with Jesus… my soul was richly filled and deeply encouraged.  I walked away from every opportunity to catch up with people just thanking the Lord for how He placed them in my life.  I was so encouraged to hear about the journey each person is on and what the Lord is using them to do.  And I was so encouraged in my times of really dreaming again with the Lord - asking Him where and how He wants to lead me and my team here.  I was encouraged by the words He spoke and continues to speak.  And I’ve been so encouraged as I look back and consider the journey it’s been to get to this place.  Encouraged.

Blessed.

I am deeply, deeply blessed.  By everything I’ve already written - all the people, by my family, and by this place I got to return to just last week.  I am blessed to get to see firsthand what the Lord is doing on this side of the globe, as well as on the other.  I am blessed to get to dive back in with these people I love and have come to feel like family with.  I am blessed to learn and grow through the challenges each day brings in each season and to see what the Lord does as we try to keep trusting and following His lead.  I am blessed to know that others are watching, praying, supporting, and sharing our same heartbeat.  I am blessed to come from where I come from and to be where I am.

Humbled, Encouraged, Blessed,

And Thankful… incredibly, incredibly thankful.

I can’t think of a better way to live.

The Heart Behind Empowering Women

I am not a feminist.  Let me start there.  But, I am for women.  I am for women understanding their value, stepping into their passions and gifts, and finding the platform to which the Lord has called them to use those very passions and gifts to bring Him glory.  I am for women understanding they are capable, qualified, and vital to seeing the kingdom of God advanced on this earth.  I am for women seeing themselves as the Father sees them and knows them - daughters of the King, carriers of His kingdom, filled with His Spirit - women with a voice, with dreams, with a calling and divine purpose to be unleashed and lived out.  I am for women.

I am not only for women.  I carry within me a heart, a spirit, and a passion for all people - regardless of gender, race, religion, family background, social status, etc., to understand their most basic need...value.  It's at the heart of every human.  We all long to know we are valued.  We long to know we have worth and purpose.  Where we find that value, however, determines the course of our life.  When we find our value in others, in our work, in our finances, etc., those things can all cease to exist... and with it, our value is easily diminished.  So I am for people finding their value in Christ - understanding who and whose they are... knowing they are valued, they bring value, and have been designed to call out the value they see in others - all for the glory of our King!

So I am for each person coming to grasp with this reality.  I am for seeing every person, young and old, man and woman, empowered into the place the Lord has passioned and equipped them to be.

Years ago the Lord began to break my heart for women - for them knowing their value, understanding what they carry, and being empowered into a place where they can bravely live out their divine purpose.  Being a woman myself, it makes sense that my heart is for and my greatest platform is with women.  That is not to say I don't believe I am capable of empowering men, of teaching men, of having a platform to speak into their lives - but I know the Lord has called me to pour into, to disciple, to multiply a generation of women who will live brave, dream bravely, influence bravery.  So there you have some background behind these thoughts.

Sitting in a small one room house back in 2009, I came face to face with what I saw as hopelessness.  I had seen glimpses of it in other places but this time was different.  This time my spirit was ready to wrestle with what my eyes saw.  I was in Kenya on a short-term mission trip with my home church.  During one of the mornings, we took time out to hop into a couple matatus and drive 16km down the road to a small but growing town called Salgaa.  In Kenya, Salgaa is known as one of many "prostitution towns."  That's how it was introduced to me that day.  The pastor of the local church had begun weekly going to this town to build relationships with those who resided there, to befriend them like so few had, and simply show them the love of the Father.  And on this particular day, we joined him on that journey - heading to a town we knew very little about to love on people who felt very "little".  Sitting in this one room house, I came face to face with a young woman completely burdened by shame and desperation.  She was making tough choices to survive, to provide food for her kids to eat and those decisions had completely broken her.  Yet this was her reality.  But worse than that, if that's possible, what I saw that day was a woman who not only felt hopeless but who believed she truly was a hopeless mess - that she didn't carry any value.  And God broke me for her.

It would be nearly two years later that I would find myself back in that small town of Salgaa, this time calling Kenya my home as I had decided to go and live there for a year to volunteer at a transitional children's home my church was partnered with.  But my heart was not only to volunteer at this home but to also get back to Salgaa, to these women, and continue this journey the Lord began stirring in me just years before.  Weekly I would visit the homes of various women in Salgaa, weekly I would hear stories of desperation, of hopelessness and of heartbreak.  Weekly I would intentionally seek out opportunities to make eye contact, to share a hug, to offer a smile, to share a story or encouragement, to lend a listening ear, to laugh and cry alongside these women.  Why?  I wanted them to know something... I wanted them to know they mattered - that someone saw them, knew them, cared for them, loved them.  But the thing is, I didn't want them to know that from only me... I wanted them to know that I was just the messenger, letting them in on how their Father feels about them, sees them, cares for them.  Value.  They were His valued daughters - His children in whom He took great pride.

That, friends, is where this heart comes from... this heart to empower women, to help them see and know their value.  It's a heart that longs for them to know they are valued, they carry value and bring value to the kingdom, and they are also called to call out the value in others.  I want them to know that.  Because I have been fortunate enough to know that.  And when you know your value, you fight to keep it.  When you know what you carry matters and who you are matters, you won't quickly bow down to shame or fear or doubt or lies.  Because you know who you are and more importantly, whose you are.  And that is a POWERFUL thing.

So yes, I am for women.  I am for seeing them empowered into places and positions where they know and walk in confidence in who they are and what they carry.  I am for women with powerful voices being unleashed to share with the world, "My daddy is the King of heaven and His Spirit is alive in me!"  I am for women who will lead and teach and train and carry kingdom to every corner of the earth.  I am for women having a platform to take the gifts and passions and dreams the Father has given them and unleashing those on this world all for His glory! 

This is why I do what I do.
This is why I carry a heart to empower.
This is why I long for others to Live Brave. Dream Bravely. Influence Bravery. To Be Braverly.

Carrying His Promises

Two phrases have been rolling around in my head this year.  Each phrase spoken by different people at different times through different podcasts I was listening to, but both phrases have profoundly impacted my life and, more specifically, the way I interact with the promises of the Father.  To ensure I wouldn't forget the words and how powerfully they spoke to me, I put a note in my phone with a running list of things I feel the Lord has spoken or is speaking.  It's a note I revisit often, a note containing words that hold just as much influence, if not more, than the day they were spoken.

Months ago... I truly have lost track of how many, I was at home cleaning when I decided to put on a podcast by Heidi Baker.  I'd never listened to her before but I had heard her name mentioned numerous times so I decided to check her out.  Not gonna lie...it was hard for me to hear past some of her mannerisms as she spoke (personal preference here).  But all that aside, I was completely stopped in the midst of my cleaning when she powerfully proclaimed this phrase... "God has given you promises but He is looking for those who will carry the promise to full term."

She had been sharing out of the book of Luke retelling the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the Lord's words to her.  A coming promise she was called to carry, but it would be 9 months of literally carrying this promise (King Jesus) - 9 months of feeling misunderstood, feeling scrutinized, feeling overwhelmed and uncertain, of wondering what the promise was really, of how it would all truly come about, etc.  What Heidi continued to unfold was the reality that for Mary, the term of this promise she would literally carry was 9 months, but Jesus had called her and chosen her to carry the promise to full term.  That's powerful truth people!  What does it look like for us to carry the promises the Father has spoken to us to full term?

I immediately began to think through promises the Lord has spoken over my life, some of which I've seen the fulfillment of and some that I haven't yet.  Some I carried only a short while until it came about but others I've carried for more years than I ever imagined I would.  To those unanswered promises, it hasn't always felt easy or comfortable to carry.  I've wanted to doubt if I'll see the fulfillment of them ever.  But God has spoken them, and He has looked at me and said, "I want you to carry this one."  Am I willing to keep carrying it to full term... no matter how long that is?  Will I remain trusting in the One who has given the promise?  Trusting that if He spoke it, I can count on it's truth and His faithfulness to bring it about?

Whew... I'm leaning in.  I'm learning.  I'm daily asking Jesus to deepen my trust - to teach me through these moments of practicing trust, leaning not on my own understanding but acknowledging Him.

Fast forward to this past March, I was listening to another podcast while spending a Sunday morning at home with the Lord before heading to church with my team.  While I can't recall which podcast it was, it was Bill Johnson who spoke these words that breathed such an incredible hope and anticipation into my spirit.  In talking about the things the Lord calls us to and gives us to fulfill the calling, he shared about how we don't always fully understand the "how" of what the Lord has called us to or even the "what" He has given us to fulfill the calling.  Sometimes the Father places something in our hands and says, "You don't see yet what I just gave you but you will."

I'm not blindly walking through life here.  I know the passions, the burdens the Lord has placed on my heart.  I'm continuing to step into the gifts I know He's given me... to use these things to walk out these passions and burdens He's given and to bring Him glory through them.  But my heart resonates with that statement "you don't see yet what I just gave you but you will."  Let it be so.

I don't want to limit what the Lord is capable of doing through what He's placed in my hands, put before my eyes or carried my feet to.  I'm working with a limited perspective over here.  I can't see the same big picture He gets to see, but I'm daily asking Him "how can I use this for your glory today?"  At the same time, there's a comfort, a hope, an excitement and anticipation in knowing that what He has given me, I only have a small understanding of what I can do with that BUT... as I carry it with Him, as I keep following His leading in it, there is much more it can do than even I realize!

This post almost sounds a little cryptic, like I don't fully have these thoughts fleshed out.  And well, yep, that's true.  I'm still leaning into these words, praying through them, asking the Lord to keep speaking - to give my heart and mind wisdom to hear Him, see Him, move with Him.  I want to carry His promises well - carry them to full term.  I don't want to give up, to be discouraged by the promises that have been carried so long without answer the weight of them is starting to wear on me.  I don't fully see yet what the Lord has given me, but I will!  I have said "yes" to carrying these promises and that means carrying them to full term... whatever that may be.

Jesus grant me faith and favor to carry your promises.

We've Got History

A friend recently recommended I listen to a new song put out by Bethel Music called "History" and let me tell you, it's powerful.  (If you've never heard it, it would be well worth your time to pull up a separate tab in YouTube and take 10 minutes today to listen to it.)  The first line alone resonates deeply in my spirit.

"You and I, we've got history.  We go way, way back.  We go way, way back."

To this song I simply say, "yes and amen".  Me and the Lord, we've got history.  Obviously He knows me way better than I know myself, and He knew me before I was ever even a thought in anyone else's mind.  Which in itself is incredible!  But this song got me thinking through what my journey with the Lord has looked like, and man, there's a lot of incredible history to it.

I grew up in a Christian home with parents who loved me deeply, got us girls involved in our church growing up, and encouraged/instilled Christian values in our lives.  I'm grateful for that.  But my personal journey with the Lord truly began to take shape one Wednesday night after my family switched churches leading into my sophomore year of high school.  Jesus grabbed ahold of my heart that night in a way that completely reshaped and transformed my life moving forward.

Looking back from that night as a sophomore in high school to where I am now... there's so much history.  Valleys, mountain tops, deserts, big decisions and small ones, moments of uncertainty, moments of celebration - so much we've walked through together.  There are so many things I've seen the Lord do.  So many things I've heard the Lord speak.  There are so many places and people He has led me to.  There are so many "impossible" looking things I've seen Him accomplish in, through, and around me.  So much history!

It makes me wonder how fear or doubt ever get invited to pull up a chair in my life.  Jesus and I, we've got quite the track record - His one of faithfulness every time.  Mine one that has ebbed and flowed.  It reminds me of that scripture in 2 Timothy 1:13... "if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself."  He's always had my back, always been there, always seen me through even the darkest, driest, most uncertain moments.  We go way, way back.  So I don't have to fear or question what's coming because my track record with the Lord tells me that He'll be there, speak to, and work in whatever seasons are coming.  It may look different than how He's worked or spoken in the past - because He's not in the habit of working the same exact way every time - but I can trust that He'll be there, that He's already there waiting for me to seek Him out.

He's trustworthy.  He's faithful.  He's so good.  I'm thankful for our history - a history that's given me such a strong foundation to stand on because I know who He is, who He's been and who He will continue to be.

This is who my Jesus is...

I've had so many moments lately, some big, some small, where this phrase continues to resonate in my heart.  "This is who my Jesus is."

It amazes me how often I "forget" who He is... or maybe it's how often I let my circumstances and what makes sense to me overwhelm me and become greater in my mind than who I know Jesus to be.  Wow... I think I need to write that out somewhere so I can remember it everyday! Haha!

But truly friends, Jesus is SO amazing!  And I don't say that lightly or to be cliche.  He truly is.  I've seen it.  I've experienced it firsthand.  And not just once or twice but daily!  He is so good!!!

I used to get so frustrated when I would read stories about the Israelites in the Bible.  The book of Exodus is one of my many favorites because I love the journey the Lord takes His people on.  It's not an easy one by any means.  In fact, it's hard.  It involves a whole lot of years in the desert after having served as slaves in Egypt.  It wasn't glamorous and there was a whole lot of complaining.  And that's the part of the story that would always get me.  To free the Israelites from slavery, the Lord sent 10 different plagues over Egypt - 10 disgusting plagues that touched the Egyptians but the Israelites were protected from.  Is this not an incredible thing???  Frogs, locusts, gnats, blood, flies, livestock dying, boils, hail, darkness, death of the firstborn.  This isn't exactly the kind of thing you'd think you would just forget about.  Like "what did you eat for lunch last Tuesday?" that's something forgettable, but "remember when God sent that massive hail storm down on people and animals and crops in Egypt and the only place it didn't fall was where we lived?"  Yeah... not stuff you'd forget about!  And as if the plagues weren't enough of the mark of who God is and what He's capable of, He led the Israelites to the Red Sea and then used Moses to part it (with a staff by the way).  I'm not sure the last time you spoke to a sea and it parted for you when you held up your staff, but this is some amazing stuff!  And then the Israelites walked through it on dry ground... WALKED THROUGH A SEA!!!  Sorry, I get a little excited about the book of Exodus.

My point is this, later, the Israelites are wandering through the desert complaining about how the Lord has forsaken them... forgotten them even.  I'm sorry, what?!  Did you miss all that He did for you to get you out of slavery in Egypt?  Did you miss the manna He sent from heaven to give you food and the water that sprung out of a rock to give you drink?  And there it is... "Kristy, how often do you forget about my goodness, and forget about my faithfulness?  Because the next big circumstance or crisis right in front of you seems so overwhelming and you give into the fear forgetting who I am."

I'm trying hard to lean into this.  This understanding of "this is who my Jesus is."  I don't need to operate out of fear of man or circumstance or anything else because I know who my Jesus is.  I know what He's capable of.  I know what I've seen Him do in my life, and the exciting thing is... He never works the same exact way - so I know there's more to Him than what I've seen and experienced!

When my visa is expiring and my planned trip suddenly turns into a last minute rush to a completely different country leaving me less than 48 hours to get my visa renewed, I don't have to fear if it can happen because I know who my Jesus is!  He is the One who makes impossible looking things possible.  When my finances take a hit because of unexpected costs or when I'm operating out of a place of being support raised instead of having a job with a steady paycheck, I don't have to fear if there will be enough because I know who my Jesus is!  And there is no end to His resources!  When I'm faced with situations that seem far beyond my ability to know how to help or problem solve, when desperation and brokenness that I'm seeing in all directions seems really overwhelming, I don't have to fear and work endlessly from my own strength to bring answers because I know who my Jesus is!  He is the One who is able to meet our needs - immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine - and He is the One who gives wisdom, dreams, direction and hope... I just happen to be a vessel willing to steward out to others what He is giving.

This is who my Jesus is.

And I'm not perfect at remembering that, but I'm trying.  I want to "set my heart on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" and "set my mind on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:1-2).  Because when I operate out of a Kingdom mindset, out of an understanding of who my Jesus is, there isn't a place for me to bow down to fear or operate out of my own ability and strength.  If I'm relying on me to get things done, I'll fall short, burn out, eventually lose my passion every time.  But when I operate out of Kingdom, there is always plenty to go around.

I don't want to forget the things I've seen the Lord do in my life.  I don't want to side step around how I've seen His faithfulness play out when the next uncertain moment shows its face.  Jesus, help me always to remember "this is who you are".

Jesus Uses Your Obedience

Here I am sitting in a coffee shop in Chiang Mai staring out at the river, listening to a podcast, awed by God's faithfulness.  Yep... awed.  Let me backtrack over these past 72 hours.

Three days ago, I was preparing for a trip to Penang, Malaysia.  I had bought tickets weeks ago in preparation for a visa renewal trip.  Every three months I have to leave Thailand to renew my visa for another three months.  This is the ongoing process until I am able to obtain a one year visa (something that is certainly high on my prayer list)!  The trip was planned, the tickets were purchased, I was gathering paperwork and getting ready to make a list of what I needed to pack when I received a notice... "The Royal Thai Consulate of Penang will be closing on Monday, April 2nd until further notice."  My tickets were for April 2nd - 4th.  Hmm...

As it turns out, the Consulate is moving buildings, hence the reason for the closure.  The notice went on to say it may just be closed for 4-5 days, but that was the entirety of my trip.  Now what?

Why is my first response always to be overwhelmed?!  Some days I feel like I'm a novice at this whole trust journey.  It's hard to make my first response deeper trust, instead I immediately dive into "how can I fix this?"  I think it's a pretty natural response, but Jesus is teaching me every day that fear and operating out of my own strength have no place when I'm seeking to follow Him.  Learning friends, I'm learning.

With the help of a few of my teammates, I began doing some research and found tickets to Hong Kong, yep, Hong Kong where I could go to the Consulate and renew my visa there.  No one from our team has done it before through this consulate, but another missionary friend recently went and seemed to have a fairly smooth run of it.  So, it sounded promising.  Not wanting the ticket prices to go any higher with it being last minute, I went ahead and booked the trip.  I went to work contacting people to get as much info on Hong Kong as I could, and soon the Lord provided housing through the family of a friend who I actually met here in Thailand when she came through Mae Sot on a team to visit us.  Thank you Jesus!  He's good friends, He's SO good!

So now housing was covered, tickets were purchased and I was feeling good about having a Plan B when I got a message from a friend saying the Hong Kong Consulate was going to be closing on Thursday for a holiday.  My tickets are for Tuesday to Friday.  The plan was to land on Tuesday, rest and figure out Hong Kong, go to the Consulate on Wednesday to drop off my papers, pick them up again on Thursday and then fly out on Friday.  Well... that's gotta change!  Haha!  Can you tell I was beginning to really feel the weight of this all now?  Wowzers!  But like I said, Jesus is good and I'm feeling confident that this is all still possible.  What it means for me is simply this... now when I land tomorrow morning, I need to get thru customs, get across town and get to the Consulate before 12:30 p.m. to turn in the papers so I can still pick them up on Wednesday and have everything I need before they close for Thursday.  We got this!  (You can definitely be praying for favor over that whole process).

But here's the point of this whole long story...

I've had some time to kill here in Chiang Mai.  It's actually been really good for me as it's been a while since I've really sat down to journal and write.  I forget sometimes how much I need it... how good it is for me to process and better see what the Lord is saying and doing.  Well today I opened up my journal and began writing out all that's been happening these past 72 hours.  As I turned the page to continue writing, there in the binding between two pages was a small piece of paper with a note on it.  This journal was given to me as a gift from my older sister before I came to Thailand nearly two years ago.  I was writing in another journal when she gave it to me, so it wasn't until that one was filled that I began writing in this new one.  What I didn't know was that she tucked this little note inside a random page that she knew I would eventually flip to some day.  Today just happened to be that day.  On the note was this... "Praying for you today and everyday. Romans 15:13."

Do you know what Romans 15:13 says?  It says this, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Wow.

Today, I'm thankful for the obedience and willingness of my sister to listen to the Lord on my behalf and for taking the steps of trust that He would use what she heard to speak to me in exactly the way He needed to in exactly the time He needed to.

Sometimes I question what I think I'm hearing from the Lord.  Sometimes I wonder if it's His voice I've heard or just my own.  Sometimes I feel silly for what I think I'm hearing Him say and I feel intimidated to share what He asks me to with others.  But He doesn't ask me to figure out how He's gonna use what He has spoken to me... He asks me to be obedient to listen, to trust, to share.

Jesus uses our obedience.  What a powerful reminder of that today.