The Voice of God
Posted by Kaylee K on Thursday, August 25, 2016 Under: Faith
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People will tell us, “You are so good to be doing this work.” I know they mean well and are trying to be encouraging. But, the truth is, no one can be good enough to do this work. What level of good do you need to look into the eyes of a 16-year-old whose home was bombed, brother killed and somehow she escaped the war only to be raped by smugglers as she made her way to Europe? How good should you be to console a father who is finally safe in his new home in the U.S. but cannot sleep due to dreams of his wife being gunned down by rebels in their village and his youngest child dying of malnutrition in the camp? No amount of human goodness can respond to this. The work we do has to be fueled, inspired and led by God – it is His Spirit in us that offers the only goodness big enough to counter the evil our refugee friends have faced.
In 2008 I found myself adorned in a yellow rain coat standing before one of the seven wonders of our world. I won’t describe the scene further as my words cannot do it justice. But the memory of an interaction from that moment stays with me and encourages me regularly. I have no idea how long I was standing before the falls when a young man came up beside me. I think at this point I had spread my arms wide and tilted my head back basking in the spray of the falls. He asked me, “What are you doing?” Without hesitation, I replied, “I’m listening to the voice of God.” I think I even surprised myself with the answer. I hadn’t so much thought it as the words just came out of my mouth and resonated with truth. His response was a wide grin and a nod of understanding. I think he too, heard what I heard.
Ezekiel 43:2 says, “and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.” Knowing I’ve heard that voice boosts me in times of doubt. But understanding that the power of that voice – more powerful even than the flow of Victoria Falls – is in me is what sustains me and inspires me daily in this work.
In Acts 1:8 Paul recounts Jesus’ words when he appeared to the disciples after rising from the dead and before ascending into heaven: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
It truly is God’s power and goodness that is in us enabling us to be witnesses of hope on the Refugee Highway. It is not through our own efforts. Whether we can understand it or not, God shares His hope for this world through people – through the people who know His heart and listen for His voice. He enables us to do this work through His Spirit within us. This is the only way it is possible for us to confidently assure our refugee friends that there is hope, there is beauty, there is healing, because there is a God who hears, and sees, and speaks.
In : Faith
Tags: god faith africa hope holy spirit
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Kaylee founded Refugee Connect in 2008. John joined the work in 2011 as we investigated the refugee situation in Europe. But our faith and cross-cultural journeys have been a work-in-progress for many years. Much of this blog reflects that. ************************************************ We met in Austin, TX, while volunteering at a serving event at Gateway Church and have been married since 2002. Marriage, parenting and ministry all require a great deal of intentionality, humility and true reliance on God for strength, wisdom, and grace. It is a journey we are grateful to be on together. Ultimately, what matters to us is building into meaningful relationships in ways that, to the best of our ability and by God's grace, demonstrate the love and hope Jesus freely offers to us all. ************************************************ We bring both business and ministry backgrounds into our current work. John started a business in his 20's and helped build several other businesses. He has also served with churches in a variety of roles including as an assistant pastor, director of community development, and missions board member. Kaylee left her marketing career to become the global missions director for our home church in Austin, TX, then founded a local refugee ministry, and became TEFL certified (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) in order to prepare for our work overseas. We have led short-term teams domestically and internationally, and served with a variety of cross-cultural ministries. In 2008, we sensed a call to build into the church in Europe, which was also around the time when God broke Kaylee’s heart for refugees. Since then, God has continued to weave together this heart for refugees, desire to serve alongside the church, and focus on His call to Europe.