Face to face when all is done.

I remember the first time I heard the song "There's a stirring." It was in Atlanta, at Burnt Hickory Church of Christ for my uncle's funeral. There must have been two hundred people in that room, because I remember it being so incredibly hot. At one point, one of his friends quoted him in saying the apostles were "pretty cool dudes." Ha, I come from good people. That's not the point. The point is that since then I've always loved that song. We started singing it some at my home church after that, but I still think of that funeral every time I hear it.

There's a stirring deep within me,
Could it be my time has come?
When I see my gracious Savior,
face to face when all is done.

Is that His voice I am hearing,
Come away my precious one.
Is he calling me?
Is he calling me?

I will rise up, rise up
and bow down
and lay my crown
at his wounded feet.

I've always thought that the stirring was at the end of your life. I always thought it was talking about death, right? That's why we sang it at a funeral, right? Now, I'm just not so sure.

I've been thinking a lot about what I'm going to do after graduation, and the one thing that keeps nagging at me is that I have to find something to blend the talent of writing with mission work. Also, I know this isn't in Alabama. My question is this: Am I just wanting an adventure, or is this a stirring?

I've only been called a few times in my life. I was called to Houston, Texas, to fall in love with the hispanic babies. I was called into the Darien rainforest. I was called into journalism. Now I just wonder, am I being called to serve far away? I always promised God that I would go if he sent me a husband that wanted to go; but after this year, I've learned that I don't need a husband in order to answer His call. If this is truly my calling, I'm going to have to at least start it alone. Am I being called to another country? Or is this just my post-grad adventure speaking? I wouldn't be the first one to backpack through Europe after graduation, but maybe I could be one of the ones who settle in a small town and work for His glory? I suppose only time will tell.

Grace and Peace,
-jg