When I found out this month's ministry was at an orphanage, girls rescue home, and feeding station I was so EXCITED!!! I wouldn't have been happier if you had told me I had won a million dollars!! I LOVE KIDS!!! I especially love kids who the world has rejected, told they were unlovable, and have forgotten about them. I was in love before we even got to Honduras.
Once again I had expectations that I didn't even realize were there. When we were told our ministry I expected to play with kids all day, to teach English classes, help around the orphanage, cook some food, wash some clothes, but basically I figured I'd just become a kid myself and play all day everyday. We have an amazing contact this month, Lauren. She is over 3 orphanages, the rescue home, and 2 feeding stations….and did I mention she lives about 2 hours away?!? She comes for a few days every week to buy supplies, food, run to the doctors, and anything else that needs to be done all the while leaving her family behind in La Ceiba. I've yet to see her frustrated or mad….in fact she is always smiling. She is an example of choosing JOY daily.
She had a list of stuff she hoped we could help her with….cleaning out the Tilapia pond at the girls home was on that list. I wasn't even sure what a Tilapia pond looked like….but a few short days later I found myself knee deep in a algae, dirt, grime, Tilapia, a HUGE toad, muddy water, and God only knows what else. It was a day of choosing JOY!! We prayed over the tank before climbing in praying there would be no snakes, and PRAISE GOD we didn't see any.
Standing in the grime, trying to get the rocks and garbage out I realized how much my life is like that nasty tank. I've built walls around my heart for 28 years. Walls that have held in the dirt and grime inside. God has began tearing down those walls. It is an extremely dirty job, one that at times is hard and overwhelming. At times I plead with God to stop because it is too messy, just like when the toad appeared in the Tilapia pond and all I wanted to do was climb out. But He can't stop, He has a plan and a purpose for my life and in order to get me to the place He can use me I need to be cleaned out and cleaned up so that life can grow in me. Tilapia will not survive in the dirt and grime….water so dirty you can't even see an inch deep. There is no point in putting more Tilapia in until the water and tank are clean because they will not survive.
What does your Tilapia tank (heart) look like? Are there areas you haven't allowed God to clean up? My challenge to you today is to allow Him in to begin the cleaning process. As hard as it will be, the end result of being fully used and available to God to do His work is so much better than living in grime.
Side note: Sorry Andrew if you were injured at any time while we were throwing rocks out of the tank 🙂
