Island Splashes
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Chapter 7
Pursue the Calling
Pursuing a dream or calling takes a lot of effort. A person with a dream often does not know where the next step may lead, but with determination and faith he or she takes each step as the Lord instructs. A person without the benefit of leadership to guide them along their path and make the necessary splashes into their lives along the way can feel totally lost in this process. Pursuing a dream or calling that is divine is more than just an affirmation and more than just declaring, “This is what I shall be!” Rather, it involves the pursuit of a God who is ordaining each step. The more one pursues Him, the clearer the paths become. Not the other way around with pursuit of the path first. Obviously, the splashes of the right kind of mentorship and leadership are useful, but be not dismayed for the Lord can bring other ripples and splashes to help guide you in your pursuit if the obvious splashes are not there.
The faith that rises from each splash feels like a small, smooth rock skipping across one’s heart creating the effort needed to pursue that dream. It is merely taking the step of faith and then watching the Lord unfold His plans in His own timing and in His own way. This kind of walk does not require pushing, rushing, or creating the scenario to make it happen. Rather, it is allowing the Lord to splash into one’s life in such a way that creates opportunity. This does not mean one should stand idly by soaking up the splashes within life. Instead, one must be active in the process by following where the splashes occur. Be careful, because some splashes can be negative in nature. One must not allow negative splashes to become a trap and source of negative splashes that impact and influence others. Thus, one must be watchful as to the impact of each splash. Furthermore, one must be willing and available to the Lord so that He can direct and guide each splash in His plan. Be sensitive to His leading …to the splashes He sends… and to the gentle-tug that directs the impacts and ripples within one’s life. Hence, the nature of pursuing Him requires believing what must be turned into action. This is called faith.
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About the Book
What is important is the circles of influence that have helped me to become who I am today. God has used each splash to divinely order every step to ripple through every part of my life, ministry, and story. I pray to continually make splashes with those impacts from here to the uttermost parts of the earth, by living out each lesson learned. Never forget that regardless of the size of the splash, each one of them continues to ripple across the ocean of life.
— Crystal Reece, Author
“Her story is our story. It’s the life of contrasts the writer of Ecclesiastes told us about. Sadness and joy, tears and victory, grief and dancing, crawling and flying … it’s all there. But, unlike so many, the fragile segments of Crystal’s life are held together by the God-thread of unwavering trust. It is this very thread that reaches out and weaves you into the amazing tale of a life of selfless devotion to the God of the universe. More than a memoir, this is a story that can become yours if you let it.”
— Melani Shock, Pentecostals of Alexandria, and author of Eat This Book
“If you expect this book to be about a young woman’s call to do missions work, it is. Do you perceive it to be about prayer? You are correct. Do you view this as a how-to book on finding God’s will and experiencing His provision? Right again; it’s all this and more! This book illustrates how God strategically places influencers in our lives to ‘splash’ us, as Crystal so ably states, causing ripple effects. As you read, may your heart be stirred, causing you to splash others with the all-encompassing love of Jesus Christ!”
— David and Kathy Brott, missionary envoys; Global Missions UPCI
About the Author
Missionary Crystal Reece, whose name means “follower of Christ,” is originally from Selmer, Tennessee. She is a graduate from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor of science degree in social work with an aviation minor. She served the United Pentecostal Church International for seven years in Vanuatu and the Kingdom of Tonga on their Associates in Missions program. During these years she worked as a Bible school administrator and teacher and assisted the church leadership in many ways with focuses upon campus, children, and youth ministries.
Crystal is an ordained minister with the United Pentecostal Church International and is a 2009 graduate of Urshan Graduate School of Theology, where she received a master’s degree in theological studies. In 2010, Crystal received intermediate missionary appointment to the Kingdom of Tonga, where she continues to work in many capacities, serving as the Bible school administrator and global association of theological studies coordinator. Crystal is currently working toward her doctoral degree in missiology. Visit her online at www.globalmission.com.