Dear Heavenly Father,
Be with the person reading these words, open their heart to what you have to say to them, and may they allow you to work in their lives. Remind them of the blessings and joy they have been given; may a smile spread across their face, and warmth fill their heart as they think of all they have to be thankful for. Assure them that whatever struggles or challenges they are facing will not last forever, just long enough for them to grow and realize their need for you. And oh what a need they have for you, Father. We would be nothing without you, we would serve no purpose if you had not placed one upon us before time began. You have a plan for every one of your children, whether they acknowledge it or not; you have specifically placed us in order to do the most good for your kingdom. Don't let them lose heart in the middle of the battle, may they turn to you for their strength, courage, patience, grace, and hope. When they can't see the way out, searching for an end in sight, direct their heart to what you would have them focus on, draw them from the darkness and into your glorious light. May they be encouraged along their journey that you are not finished with them, this is not how their story ends. You are still in the process of writing their story, there is so much more to come. They may find themselves at the beginning of their journey. Father, let them be filled with desire and a yearning to follow you, longing to take that first step. Or they may find themselves wounded and discouraged along this road; bring about peace and healing in order for them to continue on. May each person find the courage to move forward knowing that you are in control, you are with them, and you will not leave them even after your work is complete! Father, you love them with a love beyond comprehension, may they be forever blessed by it!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
This week began with a running start, which is probably how they should always start out because everything changes or moves around so much that I believe God is trying to tell me to work on preparing myself for flexibility. It has been occurring to me that all control truly lies in God's hands, and He challenges me to trust in His judgment, His decisions, and His plan for my life. He is the only one who can ultimately see the whole picture anyway, I might as well get out of His way and allow Him to finish what He started!
Ms. Pearl always seems to find tasks for me that require me to do things I have never done before and this week was no exception! She asked me to disciple a mother named, Lolitha, meaning I am to hold her accountable to her commitment to God, guide her through questions she may have about what she reads in the Bible, encourage her to continually seek after God instead of trying to find contentment in people or material things. It may not seem like much, however to the moms, one on one time is a huge deal. Most of the ladies are looking for a friend, someone to turn to when life gets them down, someone to uplift them, someone to be themselves with, and someone to be an example of a life lived sold out for what they say they believe. They have experienced so much hurt, betrayal, disappointment, and struggles that they have lost hope. Somewhere along the way they lost sight of their worth in God's eyes, they found love in others that continually failed to meet their expectations, they sought after a life beyond their means and came up empty handed. Despite the sadness, hopelessness, discontentment, longing, and heartache, God has allowed room for hope for them and anyone else for that matter. He is providing a way out, a path less taken, but totally worth the extra effort it takes to get there. He has designed a life filled with ultimate freedom, overwhelming peace, pure joy, unending love, and incredible hope for those who follow Him. What a day it will be when they embrace the true gift of life God has for them!
I was also asked to help organize a day for a group of about 25 students, high school and college age. Don't worry, she sprung it on me at seven in the morning, so that gave me a whole thirty minutes to get ready for the day before they arrived. Who needs caffeine to get yourself pumped up for the day, nothing beats a time crunch to wake you up and "get your life together" as some say around here! With God's help, everything turned out just as Ms. Pearl expected, absolutely fine! The students got to spend one on one time with the daycare kids and everyone was completely wiped out by the time nap time rolled around. It reminded me so much of the first week I spent here last summer; completely exhausted, yet so incredibly blessed by the love those kids shared with us while we did our best to love on them.
I found myself realizing how far God has brought me from the beginning of this journey and looking forward to where He is headed. Much like the groups that volunteer, there has been excitement and anxiety as I first met the daycare kids, so happy to be a part of their lives and thankful for the opportunity to love on them. As the day goes on, patience starts to wear thin, limits are pushed, fits are thrown, Legos are stolen from one another, tears are cried, and time outs are just excruciating. Its the time of day, just like the volunteers experience, I wonder how I'm going to make it through the next few hours, or in my case, the next year. But as the day ends, volunteers and I look forward to the break from the craziness, and I find myself thanking God for this opportunity. One in which I won't always be prepared, I won't always have the answers, or I won't have a clue what I'm getting myself into. However, at the same time, I am in the midst of His work, face to face with people that desperately need to know Him, and overwhelmed by the fact that He is using me somehow in the middle of it all.
Even though I am exhausted, stretched beyond my limits, and weary from the work He has called me to do, I cannot get over the feeling of fulfillment that rises from within. I may not always get it right and I can't promise that I will be great at what I do. But I am here, I am willing, and I waited entirely too long to experience the incredible ability of my God at work!
Smiles like these do the heart good!
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