My Biggest Blessing….
I have been blessed beyond what I could have ever expected on the world race, I have gotten to experience so many different cultures, be a part of so many different ministries, see God work in so many amazing ways, get to meet wonderful people around the world serving God and right here on my squad, I have watched the sunrise and the sunset in every country, seen the stars all over the world while laying on top of a mountain, in a tent in a small village in Africa, or from a rooftop in the DR. The main focus of being on the world race is to share God’s love around the world, work with different ministries around the world, and come along side them to bring truth and light to God’s people.
We typically get a day off each week and on these days I have done things like hike mountains in the DR and Malawi, beach in Malawi watching camels and donkeys walk along the shore, explore the Cliffs of Mohor and castles in Ireland, historical forts in Moldova and getting to be the first Americans to lift their cannonballs, and shopping at cool street markets in Haiti. There is no way I could forget the blessing of all the amazing views I have gotten to see while being on the world race…the cliffs, waterfalls, mountains, beaches, and flowers have been amazing.
I was doing my quiet time one morning looking out into the mountains of Malawi, sun shinning, birds chirping, and butterflies flying around thinking to myself, “Wow, really Lord? Am I really sitting in the middle of Africa reading your word while looking out into the most beautiful view?” This is what got me thinking about all the cool things I have gotten to do on the race that God has blessed me with.
As I sat there thinking tears welled up in my eyes…all the cool things and awesome sights…but all of these things added up don’t come close to the blessing I have received from the Lord through blessing me with my sister Melissa. My sister is the most amazing woman of God that I know, heart of gold, a love for the poor and needy, a fighter for injustices around the world, the most humble person I know, a warrior for Jesus wherever she goes, a blessing to all that know her, beautiful inside and out, someone who walks in step with Jesus and seeks God’s will above any of her own desires, one that lays down her life for the Lord, her family, and her friends, seeks to serve, an inspiration, a lover to her core, the most easy person to get along with and love…pretty much I could go on forever about my sister and all the amazing qualities that she has because a few years ago she gave her life, desires, and all her days to Jesus and her life has never been the same.
I suddenly started to want the night to never end as I held tightly onto her hair, didn’t want the days to continue on which meant I would have to leave her…but the Lord spoke so clearly and said this is where you learn to trust her with me. Because as much as you love her, I love her even more, I will care for her, I will see that all her needs are met, I will be the one she cries with, and I will be there for her all the time…I’ve got her, I always have.Today I read Isaiah 40: 11…”He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart, he gently leads“…then today at our last crusade here in Malawi I turned around and saw a little baby crawling around on the ground and asked if I could hold her. I held the most precious little baby and rocked her back and forth…she laid her head on my chest and started to fall asleep…but first she covered her ears because there was too much noise, later covered her eyes because it was too bright…as I watched this little child sleep God spoke about the verse I had read earlier, He carries his children in his arms, close to His heart, He picks us up off the ground, holds us in his arms when there is too much noise to handle, lets us close our eyes when we just need to rest, shields our faces from the sun when things in life become too hot for us, looks at us and thinks this is such a perfect child and everything about her is beautiful, knows every single hair on our head, and says come child come into my arms and let me hold you up, rest in my arms.
This brought tears to my eyes in how God showed me a tangible example of the verse I had read about earlier…then something really beautiful happened, when I took the time to look at the child’s face and her skin, she was sparkling…not just white sparkles, but all colors…this little girls skin shimmered like a beautiful rainbow. The more I turned the little girl round and round in the sun to look at her from every angle the more I saw all the colors in a rainbow. Now this may not make sense to people reading this blog because you don’t know why rainbows are special to me. They are special to me because rainbows are Melissa’s, my sister, sign of faithfulness from the Lord. So whenever I see rainbows around the world I always think of her and feel so close to her.
As I was holding this sparkling rainbow little beautiful baby the Lord said and this is how I hold her every single day. My promise to you I have kept and I have carried her close to my heart, do not worry about her she is safe in my arms.
I love you lissy, no one or anything could ever replace you out here my sweet precious sister. I am more proud of you then you will ever know, so proud of the woman that you have become and inspired by the life that you lead. Keep running after Jesus with all your heart and keep looking at the Son and allowing him to brush your skin with his faithfulness that may just look shimmer like rainbow sparkles sometimes J love you more than anything Love you tons, your sister
