Hide Behind the Cross

I want to hide behind the cross......the excitement of going to Asia is still bubbling over inside me, and I cannot get over the fact that it has begun. This excitement is beginning to turn into butterflies and thoughts of what God has in store for me when I'm there. One of my very best friends brought it to reality for me, when she said, "Gabby prepare yourself, you're not going over to feed children, you're going to come face to face with Satan, so prepare." My stomach dropped when I read those words, because the excitement of something new and the adventures ahead were consuming my mind instead of the work that needed to get done. My objective is not to travel the world or to experience culture first hand....it is to get my hands dirty and do work for the Kingdom. So many times I think we forget our purpose. It's not to fit in, look good, or show the world what we can do with our money......It is to hide behind the cross. To show the world Christ before what we have, what we can do, and what we offer.  Something even as great as surrendering my life to work in Asia can become a hindrance when I decide to step in front of the cross. Excitement yes, but preparation and the knowledge that I'm going to do work was my lesson today. Nothing we are can ever be greater than the cross and it's message, so stop trying to compete with it, and surrender to its greatness.