Everywhere is Where I Want to Be

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to attend a leadership conference with our BSU leadership team. It was an awesome experience. Not only did I get to hang out with some pretty cool people, I learned some pretty life changing stuff.

I have felt that God has been calling me to the mission field officially since January. I have felt this calling for many years but it never really clicked until then. While I was at the leadership conference in St. Louis, Mo, I was able to attend several break-out sessions pertaining to missions.

The first break out session was titled "Holiness, Hope, and Healing." I knew this session was going to be one about missions so I went. Oh my! It was so deep! The guy, Vernon Burger, was an incrediable speaker with so much to say. He went through the entire bible, pre-Genesis to Revelation, in about 30 minutes. My mind was blown. The one thing I got out of this session was this:

MISSIONS: Proclaim and live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ where the Kingdom of God has not yet been fully realized.

Wow! I had to start asking myself questions. Ok, where on earth has the Gospel of Jesus Christ been fully realized? Nowhere?!? Ok, So I need to be a missionary everywhere I am? Yes!
He went on to say that every Christian has a choice. Do you want to be a missionary or an imposture? My answer is as common as any other Christian. I want to be a missionary. Who wants to be an imposture to the Kingdom of Christ? I think not.

I think this is crucial for us to understand. When I was telling people that I wanted to be in the mission field after I graduated college, I was using future tense. I am going. I need to start using present tense. I am a missionary on my campus. I need to be a missionary on my campus. There are many people on my campus that are not living the life they should be and its plain as day. You don't have to observe long to hear what the guy next to you in class did this past weekend.

Ok so now you're asking, "Well ok Kristin I get your point but I don't know how to do this? It scares me!" Well, you want to know a secret? It scares me, too. I'm learning to get out of my comfort zone. I'm learning that being shy doesn't get you anywhere. I'm learning that the only way to get things done is by talking to someone. So my answer is go talk to someone. The only way to share the love of Christ is by choosing to talk to someone. Choosing to overcome you fears is key. I do not like talking to people I don't know but I know that it is crucial to form relationships with my fellow classmates is the only way I can help them see how I live and the reasons why I live the way I do. I don't have to go out and get drunk and sleep around to have fun. That isn't the only way.

While you are getting out of your comfort zone and talking to people outside of your little bubble, make sure that it is a dialogue. Make sure that you aren't just talking to them. You need to be talking with them. Make sure that they know that you struggle, too. Don't be overwhelming. The most important part of all of this is to pay attention. Pay attention and make sure you aren't being overwhelming. Pay attention and make sure you aren't having a monologue. Pay attention and make sure that you are inviting.

This stuff is so much deeper than what I went through here today. I hope this can help someone out there because I know that it has helped me understand what I need to work on.
Kristin
Isaiah 41:10