Sawathekah! (hello in Thai.)
i am in chiang rai, thailand. what a blessing it has been.
many individuals have asked, "why are you going to Thailand?" or "why are you here in Thailand?"
with a huge grin on my face i respond, "it is my trust trip with Jesus."
their faces intensify as curiosity tries its best to ignore the question itching on their tongues. the brave souls eventually ask.
"okay... but what is that?"
i tried to think of a fitting illustration when it comes to defining a trust trip with Jesus...
a trust trip is when you realize you have just agreed to pay a motorbike driver to chauffeur you to your next destination but then dreadfully realize you are wearing a skirt. you have never side saddled a motorbike but you think why not... today will be the day.
you could back out but you will never know what you could have plunged into.
yes i am talking from personal experience.
...but i don't think this illustration does full justice.
so here is my definition.
a trust trip with Jesus- hearing God beckon "come" and then choosing to respond to the invitation. when you start, smack dab in the middle, and when you look back at the end of the journey you realize the only truth you were certain of the whole time was Jesus is my companion.
He is most assuredly a faithful companion.
riding on the back of a motorbike i started to think about genesis.
it says in genesis 1:3, "And God said, 'Let there be light' and there was light."
God used His voice to create. His voice is obviously important.
He is still speaking today. His Word is living and active.
i believe one of the greatest privileges in our lives is to be able to talk with the Creator of the Universe.
this is how it all started back in january. as soon as i knew i would not be staffing the discipleship training school i embraced God's promise to me. i believe He spoke to me, "hailley i have something better in store for you." so of course i eagerly asked God what i should do in those next three months before returning to wisconsin.
He responded, "you can go to Thailand." i was writing in my journal as these words fell onto the paper. often this is how God communicates to me... through my writing.
as soon as He told me, as soon as He invited me i knew it would be close to impossible to decline. it seemed fear would be the only thing keeping me from RSVPing with an eager, "yes!"
God assured me that i would be safe, that He would provide, that He would be my companion, that i would have stories to tell.
He certainly fulfilled all of what He spoke to me.
each day i was in thailand i meditated on a truth. one day the truth was, "i am not alone." there have only been a couple of times in my life where i have felt God's presence so close, so near. never before have i felt His presence so close, so near for 18 days straight.
i hope, i pray, actually i can even say i expect there are more trust trips to come. when He beckons, the Creator of the Universe, how can i say, "no" to what He has orchestrated for me. i am choosing to live a life of freedom. i am choosing to ride on the back of many more motorbikes. i want to feel the air temperature fluctuate from cool to warm, to feel a firm breeze against my cheek, and to see vivid green surrounding me making my eyes sparkle with ecstasy bringing forth my childlike wonder many more times.
