Colombia: A Journey
My trip to Colombia changed everything for me. A nation I've loved and [literally] dreamed of for almost a decade became a tangible reality - a land I could touch, a people I could embrace, and an environment that immediately felt like home. We saw people healed of heart and lung conditions, dreams ignited in the young and young at heart, prophecies of destiny and identity spoken over those hungry to see God move, marriages and families restored, and an incredible outpouring of love and unity amongst God's kids.
For me there was a distinct turning point when I moved past seeing the Colombian people as my brothers in Christ and friends of the faith, and fell in love with this church body as an intimate part of my family. An awesome guy named Cristian and I found ourselves near each other during one of the incredible moments of worship at the conference. We placed our hands on each other's shoulders and immediately were hit by the Holy Spirit like a freight train. We doubled over in God-filled laughter, and soon found ourselves on the floor laughing with all of our might. There were no real words, no translators, no English, and no Spanish - just two brothers encountering the Holy Spirit in love, joy, and unity. From that moment forward, I knew that I could no longer be satisfied with climbing the corporate ladder, becoming a wealthy American, and "one day" going to Colombia. For the rest of the week and even on the plane ride home I was torn between two paths. On one hand I was set to take over my company from my boss and live a comfortable and blessed life here in the United States. On the other hand I could finish ministry school, move to Colombia, and explore the fullness of what He's been calling me to there.
Two stories greatly helped me sort through my thoughts and emotions when deciding which path to pursue. The first is the story of the rich young ruler in the Bible (Mark 10:17-27). It was difficult for that young man to follow Jesus because of how much he possessed; Jesus loved him, but he understood that it is difficult to let go of wealth and possessions. I am neither rich nor poor, but the idea of giving up what I do have (and the promise of great wealth should I stay where I am) agonized me. I believe I am designed to be a steward of resources in God's kingdom, and it disturbed me that I could not readily return to God what He had bestowed upon me. If it is more difficult in my heart to trust God for His provision than to trust the job that God gave me, how can I ever grow in influence? God never gives us more than we can handle, and this includes wealth. If I forget my role as a steward and His role as provider with the small salary I receive, how could I handle greater wealth without making it an idol valued above God? I want to be a blessing to many nations and many generations, and must always remember who I am and who He is.
The second story that helped me is that of Pastors Stu & Chloe Glassborow from Catch the Fire London. I'm fuzzy on some of the specifics, but Stu was a veterinarian surgeon and Chloe owned a business before they followed God to Wembly. At that time, Chloe had a dream/vision from God that they were living in 50% of God's will for their lives. Stu was ecstatic thinking that was really good, but Chloe was distraught because she wanted to live in the fullness of what God had for them, not just a portion. This sentiment very closely reflects my own - if I were to stay in the Raleigh area and climb the corporate ladder here, my life would be be undoubtedly blessed... But I would only be operating in a portion of His will. I am not a man to seek His will where convenient, but always hunger to discover and experience more of His supernatural reality in my life. If I want to experience the fullness of what He has for me, I have to leave my American home and journey to my Colombian home - the land to which He's called me.
After seeking the counsel of friends and family, I considered my options. First and most ideally, I could switch from working full-time where I am to part-time. Second, I could try to find a well paying part-time job before school starts in January. If successful, I would give notice at my current job and begin school full-time. Third and least ideally, if I could not switch to a part-time position, nor find new part-time employment, then I would work at my current job full-time for another year while saving money, then attend school full-time in the following year and a half.
I had no idea how my boss would react to my request to switch to a part-time position. In most employment scenarios it wouldn't be a big deal, but where I am my boss has repeatedly offered to sell me ownership of the company upon his retirement in fire years time. In effect, if I were to just stay where I am and keep doing what I'm doing I would be earning hundreds of thousands of dollars annually within seven years time. That is a figure I can't hardly even process. By stating my intentions to him, I would be declining his incredibly generous offer. I didn't know if my boss would feel insulted by this act, or would feel like I messed up his retirement plans, and knew it was not out of the realm of possibility for me to be fired as a result.
Today, I talked with my boss about switching to a part-time position, and my desire to move to Colombia in the fall of 2016. By the grace of God he was more supportive than I could imagine, stating that, "you have to do what you love." I do love what I do, I do love where I am, but I am even more in love with Jesus and the Colombian people. We have a four-day weekend due to Thanksgiving, and he's going to take that time to discuss my transition with his business partner.
During this time, I ask that you would pray/declare/agree with me for favor in my employers' hearts. May I find such favor in their eyes that they will help support me by allowing me to stay on as a part-time employee.
There is still a lot of planning and preparing I need to do for my journey to Colombia, but I'm hopeful that I will be able to move there just before my 30th birthday.
Thanks for reading, Jedd
