Here I am. I find myself standing on a mountain top. The weather is perfect. To my left, there is one of the most amazing views I’ve ever seen of the green, rocky mountains of Swaziland complete with a winding river running through the middle. The older girls are having their Bible study on the rocks overlooking the mountain. To my right there are kids and Racers playing on the playground and on the swings, taking advantage of the beautiful day and rare sunshine (it rains ALL the time here). Behind me, some of our guys are working hard in the shop to build soccer goals for the kids. I’m standing in the middle of our dirt road. I’ve drawn a baseball field in the dirt. I’m holding a small playground ball in one hand and the perfect size stick as a bat in the other. Three Swazi boys stand a few yards away from me anxiously waiting for me to hit them the next pop fly. I had spent the afternoon teaching them about baseball.
This is SO cool!!!! How am I here? What got me to this place? Before I came my mom told me that when I was young I saw a video in church about missions in Africa. I looked at her and said, “I’m going. I don’t know how and I don’t know when, but I’m going.” Well here I am. I am able to look back on my life and see all that God allowed me to experience to prepare me for this moment.
I grew up playing sports. It was a huge part of my life and a huge part of what shaped me to be who I am today. I love kids of all ages! I’ve always felt like a kid no matter how old I’ve gotten. I think about how God brought me to Camp NOLA 4 years ago. I learned so much there, so much more than I thought I would. Working at that camp gave me experiences in working with children, teaching them, playing with them, and how to interact with different personalities and ages. God equipped me through that. I think about my internship with Playworks, which I never would have found if I hadn’t worked at camp. That internship gave me the opportunity to feel like I was actually making a difference in kids’ lives while playing with them in the classroom and on the playground.
Now, I’m in Swaziland! I get to live at an orphanage with about 90-`100 kids. On Wednesdays and Fridays I get to lead them in a time of sport and exercise. Because I majored in Exercise Sports Science, I can teach them about their bodies and the importance of exercise and feel like I really know what I’m talking about! Because of camp and Playworks, I have an almost limitless amount of games and activities I can do with the kids for fun! I have lessons, skits, games, and crafts for our younger girls’ Bible study because of camp. My life experiences are coming together in this one month of my life and I’m able to see it right before my eyes!
So, it’s a beautiful, perfect Friday afternoon in Swaziland. I’m playing baseball with kids. I get to lead them in jumping jacks and sit ups. I get to spend one-on-one time with my `15 year old girl, Esi. There’s nothing like my time with her. We are able to sit down, open up our Bibles, and talk about scripture. I can teach her and she can teach me.
God prepared me for this.
The paths that I chose to get here weren’t always the right ones and they weren’t always easy. I got myself into a lot of trouble along the way, and there were time where I felt so far from Him, but He was ALWAYS there to pull me back. I wouldn’t be on this Race right now if it weren’t for my hard-learned lessons. It’s not very often that we get a glimpse of the picture that makes up the puzzle of our lives. Two years ago I would have NEVER thought I would be doing any of these things. That wouldn’t have made any sense. But now. . .it’s the ONLY thing that makes any sense. I don’t want to be anywhere else.
But I know this isn’t the end. The things that I’ve done in the past and the things I’m getting to do with these kids now are the things I want to do for the rest of my life! Even in America. Now I can’t help but ask, “Lord. What is THIS experience preparing me for?” There is a purposeful and planned future attached to every lesson I learn and every event in my life. I’m in a rare moment where I can currently feel and see God working in my life. I’m starting to recognize the big picture of the puzzle He is putting together with the pieces of my life. The cool thing is that I know there is SO much more to the puzzle than my eyes can see. As soon as I think I’ll see the whole thing, He will start a new section and keep adding on. I pray He continues to overturn new pieces and add them to the existing masterpiece.
I’m so thankful in time like this. I know God has prepared me to do big things, and He is using my experiences now to make me complete! I am so excited for the future He has prepared for me which will ultimately lead me to Him, my ultimate goal.
I have to ask you to look at your life. Where are you right now? What are you doing? How did you get here? Do you see the Lord’s hand in it? What do you think He is preparing you for? If you’re not where you want to be, it’s up to you. You have a choice. How are you going to get there? Let God take control of your life and follow Him even into the unknown. You will not regret it. I can promise you that! You’ll be amazed once you’re able to step back to look at your own puzzle and see how He has pieced together things you didn’t even know were connected.
AND MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
