It took 12 months for me to truly understand my "one word". It took a weekend trip to a town that desperately needs the Lord's love, for me to realize what being intentional should mean. The past 11 months, time has been prioritized to family and church, because I thought that's what being intentional meant. That spending time with loved ones should always come first and that serving at church is time best spent. And there's nothing wrong with those things.
That is, until the Lord calls you somewhere else and opens your eyes to show you where you could be. To a place where every spare moment makes a difference in someones life. Where children seek your attention because they don't get much anywhere else, and women have a sadness in their eyes because there's only so much they can do. Where YOU give them hope, and God fills you with a desire to share His love and grace.
People always say that mission trips can change your life, but it's not until you actually feel the shift that you realize what that actually means. Every thought, conversation, and experience seems different.
I may not have the words to express my emotions right now, but I know one thing: I hope God keeps showing me how to be intentional. I hope He keeps challenging me and showing up in the most unexpected places. Fortunately, with hopes like those, I can't lose because God will never stop doing those things.
