"When you are too weak to walk, God will carry you."
This is a phrase I just read and it fit so well with how I can describe life lately. It has been a whirlwind of ending one job, starting another, going on a missions trip, finding a new place to live, pack up to move and resume training at my new job-all in 3short weeks!
I am thankful that everything has fallen into place but I am not suprised that it has because they have fallen into place because of The One who holds it all in place-God. To be honest, I have no energy or strength to keep the pace that I have, humanly speaking, but I especially have felt God's strength while on the missions trip last week. It was a challenging and at times difficult trip.
The children we worked with came from hard situations. It was heart-breaking to hear of their experiances and know that when they left camp they would be goiong back to those deplorable places. One 12 year old was pregnant from rape. Words cannot express the ill feeling I get when I think of what she went through and how her life will always be like because of the sin forced upon her. I can only pray that she clings to God and that He is glorified through this ugly situation. We met kids who were homeless, came from homes riddled with addictions and abuse. Many had a hard time letting down their guard long enough to listen to the gospel or to talk to the staff. That was the case for the cabin I worked with.
This cabin was led by two aamzing young women, one from Haiti and a recent college graduate and one who grew up as a New Tribes missionary kid in Indonesia(!), both were strong believers and I was so blessed to have worked along side them ministerting to the older girls group of the camp. These eight girls(one of them the 12 year old pregnant girl I mentioned earlier) were defiant in every possible way so much of the time, not wanting to participate in activites or work as a group, nor, did they want to hear about the Bible or talk about life-most of the time. When we had a chance we jumped at it and listened and offered compassion and love mixed with a healthy dose of scripture. A few were familiar with God and the Bible but were to angry with the world and the life they were living to turn to The One Who could change their eternity. We know seeds were planted and trust they will be harvested someday. Please join me in praying for these young ladies who are hurting.
Whenever I work with out youth group on an event as a chaperone I am always challenged and taught many things and last week was no different! I now expect and look for it because it is always a growing experiance. To protect the innocent(haha!) I will not go into detail but suffice it to say that I was challenged in my faith, my prayer life, seeking God for wisdom, watched God change the lives of many of the teens and see them grow closer to God and each other. Last week was a week of borkenness for many, a time for many of the girls to realize their need for each other but also their need for a deeper relationship with God and to be open and receptive to what God is showing them that needs to change.
In the last two trips I have gone on(last year to South America and this year to Allegan, Michigan) God has been faithful to show me in little pieces His bigger desire for me in life, much of which includes ministry but most likely not in the way I had thought for so many years. I hope to continue chaperoning youth group mission trips but would love to bring back Perspectives sometime in the very near future. I also realized a few ways I can encourage my friends who are in ministry bith near and far and how much joy I get from doing it knowing it is blessing others and bringing glory to God!
The God who counts the sands of the dunes we visited, The God who painted the sunset we watched on the shores of Lake Michigan and The One Who measures the water we splashed in in our last day, The God who created the forest I zip-lined through(!) and the God Who is faithful, gracious and full of mercy is also the God Who works in and through all circumstances despite what what I or anyone thinks or feels is working out how He wants me to do ministry. He is calling you and I to follow Him and will give us strength when we are weak. When you ask, He will carry you. Friend, allow Him to work through you, to give you the strength and when needed, to carry you. Its the best place to be.
