By Christi Mays
When Ruth Lawson was 16, a family friend asked if she wanted to go on a mission trip to Uganda. She was thrilled at the opportunity and began to pray. Her entire life, Ruth had been taught to 鈥済o to God in prayer鈥� for everything. She knew if she was supposed to go on the mission trip, God would let her know.
She prayed and prayed but heard nothing. Weeks went by, and she needed to give her friend an answer. One Sunday morning during her church鈥檚 worship service, she became frustrated that she still hadn鈥檛 gotten an answer.
鈥淕od, I鈥檓 not hearing you. Do you want me to go or not?鈥� she prayed. 鈥淎ll of a sudden, I just heard the Lord say, 'GO!'鈥�
But at that moment, Ruth knew in her heart that God wasn鈥檛 simply telling her to go on this one mis颅sion. He was calling her to a life of missions.
鈥淕od was telling me to go鈥攋ust as Ruth (from the Bible) went into a foreign land, and as Esther walked into places that were dangerous,鈥� she said. 鈥淕od told me, 'This will be hard. Your life will not be easy. It will be scary. You will walk in the midst of persecution. But you are not alone. I鈥檓 here with you and we will walk through the fire together. I鈥檓 calling you to go!'鈥�
