Go Light Your World

There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a Spirit who brings fire
Ignites a candle and makes His home

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world

Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister, she's been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle without a flame

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world

We are a family whose hearts are blazing
So let's raise our candles and light up the sky
Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest times

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world

This song always brings tears to my eyes, because I can picture the hurting and lonely faces of people who are just longing for someone to care enough to tell them about Jesus.

Missions is my heart.

I don't say this lightly. My heart is consumed with love and passion for a God who loves us, sent His son to die on the cross for us, and who deserves all the glory in the world. The least I can do is spend my summer in Kharkov, Ukraine sharing the message of Christ with Ukrainians, Chinese, and Africans. But ... (this is a huge but!) It can't stop here. It has to keep going. To Mississippi. To Columbus. To Mississippi University for Women. For too long I have pretended that my actions were enough to be a witness to those around me, but not anymore. I cannot pretend any longer. It is time for me to follow God in obedience and to start verbally sharing my faith. Actions speak louder than words ... for too long I have been living my life by this phrase. I used it as a crutch to make myself feel better about being such a coward.

I will carry my candle, and go light my world. I will shine my candle on my campus, in my community, and to the farthest parts of the world. I will carry my candle into the jungles of Africa, into the mountains of China, into the darkest and most dangerous parts of the world, because this is the calling that God has given to each and every one of us. It is not a question of calling, because God commands us in Matthew 28:19-20. So the question is not whether or not we have been called, but when and where we are called!

God has moved in ways that were far above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined, but who am I kidding? He already told us He would do that in Ephesians 3:20.

Tomorrow I leave Kharkov on the train headed to Kyiv where I will catch my early morning flight home on Thursday. I ask that you please pray for traveling mercies as I come home. I am still not very excited about the whole traveling alone part, so I ask that you please pray that God will go before me and keep me safe. He guided me and protected me on my way over, so I know that He can do the same on my way home.

Thank you for reading my blog this summer, and thank you for praying for me! I have truly felt every prayer. This will be my last blog post while I am in Ukraine, but I hope to post more pictures and stories once I get home and find some free time. Again, words cannot express my sincere gratitude for praying me through this journey! Spaseeba bashoi ... Slava Bog!