Mungu, Nikupe Yote (Lord, I give you everything)

1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

I can’t even count how many times I have heard this verse growing up. Whether it was in Sunday school, family devotions, or youth group, I grew up hearing quite often, “do everything as if you were doing it unto the Lord.” Like many things I heard growing up, it went in one ear and other the other. It just seemed like common sense, yah sure I should do everything like I’m doing it for Jesus, but it was never a reality for me. I never truly put what I learned into practice.

This past summer, many things changed in my life. After spending all year filling out the application for the Boren scholarship to go Zanzibar, I put everything in my life on hold and waited anxiously for months to hear back. In May I finally received an email from Boren saying that I had been put on a waiting list for the program…I just remember feeling so crushed and defeated. It all seemed so clear to me that I was supposed to go; however, the Lord neither closed the door nor opened it. He told me after months and months of painful waiting, to wait some more.

As I waited and waited, I still felt strongly that I was supposed to go, so I called the American Councils for International Education many times pleading my case and trying to convince them to let me go. No wonder people in Zanzibar like to call me “mjanja” (sneaky or clever). July 1^st, I finally found out that they had accepted me into the program. At that point I was in Door County working 12 hour days, and two jobs for a while just trying to make enough money to go. I didn’t want to ask people for money because I wasn’t going as a missionary I was going as a student. Anyways I worked more than I should have because I was so determined to go(and also single minded and stubborn) J

Around two weeks after finding out I had been accepted into the program, a serious relationship that I had in my life ended. I remember feeling incredibly discouraged and hurt after it happened and questioned a lot of things in my life. I felt how I think many people feel after a breakup, I felt like I wanted to prove to myself who I was as an individual again. I don’t think I ever found my identity in the person I was in a relationship with, but I just wanted to prove to myself that alone I have what it takes. I had a lot of talks with different friends and mentors and the common thing that I heard was “you need to go to Zanzibar give it your all and hold nothing back.”

I left America burnt out from all the work and still hurt by the changes that had happened, but I had the goal in front of me that I was going to go to Zanzibar and to give it my all. I had nothing holding me back, and everything pushing me forward. I wanted to become fluent in Swahili, I wanted to have fun, I wanted to do silly things like go snorkeling and take African drum lessons.

I told quite a few of the other students in the program about my goals in order to hold myself accountable, and then I went for it.

Being a student and living in Zanzibar, I think was the first experience in my life where I was so intentional about giving 100% of myself to where the Lord had placed me. It was really encouraging to have other students come up to me and saying things like “Rebecca you are just glowing, it’s so obvious how much you love it here and really have just given it your all.” Now I am back in America, and when people ask me about how my trip was I can honestly say, “It was the time of my life. I went with nothing holding me back and everything pushing me forward, and I gave it my all. I didn’t hold anything back and I accomplished all of the goals I had for myself, and I feel wonderful!”

But here’s what I really want to share, I spent so much of my life just going through the motions or ignoring today and living for tomorrow, that now after knowing what it’s like to give 100% and to live in the present, I understand why Jesus called us to live this way. He has given us all unique interests and put us in different situations for a reason. I really believe he wants us to use our interests and talents where he has put us and to do whatever we are called to do with everything we have. I see so many people I know who are so intelligent or have amazing leadership abilities wasting their talent and not going anywhere. Let’s not waste what the Lord has given us, but use it for his glory!

So friends, it’s a new year, find what you love to do, set some goals (not just serious goals but fun goals too), and I want to encourage you to give 100% to everything you do. See what happens, people notice and I think people living joyfully where the Lord has put them can sometimes be the biggest witness.