Golfing in the Rain and Moving Mountains

So I was on the front 9 at Seneca Country Club here in Louisville, hacking away with some friends. We saw the cloud off in the distance, but didn't pay much attention. The thunder didn't phase us. To make a long story short, the monsoon hit us while we were at the furthest point from the clubhouse! We were soaked from head to toe. However, no worries, we DID get our rain checks! And it was awesome!

Anyway, I have been meditating and praying Matthew 17:20-21 and lately:

He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

God blesses obedience in trusting Him. As some of you know, I am planning a vision trip to Italy this December. The other 2 guys I have been talking to about going with me are acting doubtful. I have prayed HARD about this. I have determined that it appears to be God's will for me to go, with or without them. I am planning on buying my plane ticket this week, and it scares me a little bit, to be honest. Going to another world that I have never been to by myself has a way of taking me out of your comfort zone! I have only a slight idea of what I might experience over there. So why am I going?

I want the faith that Peter had that allowed him to walk on water (Matt. 14:22-33). The faith that enables a man to step off of the boat to walk on the raging sea is the same faith that will lead that man to the land of miracles. Peter saw the Christ and walked to Him, despite the circumstances, despite what was "natural".

Anytime we have an opportunity to offer God our mustard seed, we should sieze it. This is one of those opportunities. It is "unnatural". People could say I am a lunatic (People probably say that anyway!). It is going to cost a lot of money. It is going to cost a lot of time. There is no certainty that the IMB will allow me to go there in 3 semesters. I don't know any Italian, etc..

Yet it is for these reasons that I believe this to be an opportunity to be the closest to heaven one could be this side of glory. It will be an absolute and total dependance on God unlike any other I have experienced so far in my life. God, me, and the spiritual wasteland of Italy. Does it get any edgier than that??

I am praying that God will take my "mustard seed" and use it to someday plant "oaks of righteousness":

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has annointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion--to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that HE MAY BE GLORIFIED.
-Isaiah 61:1-3

This is an opportunity to take a great risk and go out on faith. I firmly believe that we will move mountains when, and only when, we have the faith to step off of that boat to walk on the stormy seas in our path. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you (James 4:8). The leaving of the "natural" to pursue the "unnatural" gives us unparalleled opportunities to draw near to God. Life is too short to settle for the comfort of the norm. Let's seek those opportunities to take a risk and leave our comfort bubbles.

Where are our mustard seeds? Who wants to settle for ant hills while God is calling us to move mountains? I have so far to go, but I want that! Don't you? Please note that I am NOT talking about success; I am talking about FAITH...