Tugging at my heartstrings

So I grew up in this church culture that gave money to Annie Armstrong at Easter and Lottie Moon at Christmas.  We had pictures of missionaries that we prayed for on their birthdays and thought wonderful thoughts about.  Missionaries were these far off people that we gave money to and prayed for...on their birthdays.  Missionaries were "celebrities" that "gave their lives to God" and did His work and we were all so grateful for their sacrifices.  Then we went downstairs to have our potluck. 

For me today, this is so not the case and I am SOOOOO grateful.  Because how pompous and ignorant are those thoughts?!  Only missionaries "give their lives to God?"  NO!  Um...God gave us OUR lives, so why wouldn't we um...I don't know...give Him to others?  Zaia was talking about missionaries the other day and I asked her "What is a missionary?"  Her reply?  "We all are Mama."  AHHHHH!!! Amazing!!  YES!!!  Yes.  We all are.  But that isn't just lip service.  We all must be...we must be missionaries in our homes AND in our workplace AND in our schools AND in the neighborhood that we think is scary AND in Mexico AND in Africa AND in Canada AND in Washington D.C.  AND, AND, AND.  Not OR, OR, OR. 

I have always heard of being "called" and how that means things for different people.  And I agree...to a point.  I have read Radical by David Platt and he talks about this very thing.  We are waiting for our calling or say I haven't been called to go there or do that.  Time out, wait a minute.  BS flag thrown. 

JESUS said " All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matt 28:18b-20a) 

THERE IS OUR CALLING!!!  "Therefore go!"  I like to think that this was a butt burning fire for those disciples because they just saw Jesus die.  A horrific death mind you, and then he arose!  He conquered death, which makes you pretty awesome in my book, and then tells them to "Go and make disciples of all nations."  What if we could imagine our Jesus after dying and coming back to life looking at us and saying "Go!"  I think our church pews would be ashes because our butts would be flaming.

So...with all this, I have been feeling the Holy Spirit trying to burn my butt.  He has been pulling and tugging at my heartstrings and pouring lighter fluid on and throwing matches at my bum.  He has placed a desire and longing to help in my heart.  To help get clean water to people.  Water....simple water.  I have been pulled back to a website of an organization countless times over the past few weeks.  The organization is Living Water International.  They are: "Living Water International exists to demonstrate the love of God by helping communities acquire desperately needed clean water, and to experience "living water"—the gospel of Jesus Christ—which alone satisfies the deepest thirst."  They have teams that they send to dig wells and teach the importance of hygiene and clean water.  Most importantly they connect with the people who live there and teach them of Jesus. 

I WANT TO GO!!!!

I need to go.  God is yelling at me...YOU MUST GO.  Now...I undoubtedly will hem haw and try to get as many other people in on this and make it a big awesome trip.  But I am starting to think....maybe God is calling you, Anessa.  Just perhaps he is calling others to join you, but why in the world would you wait on them?  He has said "GO!"  Make it happen.  GO!  So I am thinking...maybe I will.  My butt is burning and I've got a feeling that this is going to be awesome.