Today I touched a real life penguin! This might sound weird, but this has been a life-long desire of mine. You know that one question you’re always asked when introducing yourself, “What’s one interesting fact about yourself?” My response would always be, “My name is Sabrina, and one interesting fact about myself is that I want to touch a real life penguin!” After a time of laughter, the next question would always be, “WHY?”
This month we are in Cape Town, South Africa partnering with our contact Bradley Barnes and his ministry Kingdom Sports Ministry. For years he worked as a professional Soccer player until God took him out the game and redirected his life to full time Ministry using his passion for sports as a tool. Our ministry this month involves doing door to door evangelism, playing soccer & other sports with the kids, and presenting them with life lessons they can take away from our time together that align with the word of God. Bradley also volunteers his time at a local school here acting as the P.E. Teacher. This week we get the opportunity to accompany him as we spread the word of God by talking to, encouraging and proclaiming Jesus to the students.
I researched South Africa before leaving on the Race and found out Penguins are there. That of course went to the top of on my Off Day To-Do List. After telling Bradley and his wife about this they quickly informed me there is a Penguin Colony across the street from the school we would be working and I could go see them then! So, today I touched a real life penguin and it was LOVELY! I always thought it would feel weird, but in reality it just feels like a bird… who knew, lol! My day was made. I for sure thought that would be the highlight of the day, but of course, God wasn’t done. As we were leaving, a disabled man without legs & the biggest smile was sitting along the street selling bags. He told us his story of how he lost his parents at a young age and had to live with his aunt & uncle, how he felt that he wasn’t loved by his family and suffered from depression. At one point it got so bad, he threw himself in front of a train leaving him without legs. As he talked I noticed slash marks all down his arms. We asked what they were from and he replied, “I used to be suicidal, I tried to kill myself many times.” He continued, “I’m not suicidal anymore, I mainly struggle with forgiving my family for how they have treated me.” At this moment we were able to give him some encouraging words. We shared how unforgiveness hurts himself more than the other person, and how God calls for us to forgive. Also, how he should start speaking life into his relationships and start declaring the change he wants to see in his family. Then shared how when I have trouble with unforgiveness I remind myself how Jesus forgave those who crucified him, saying “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). If Jesus can forgive after all he went through, why can’t you and I?
I can’t help but wonder if the reason WHY God placed this most random desire in my heart was because he knew…
He knew that one day I would go on a Mission Trip to Cape Town, South Africa.
He knew I would find out there would be Penguins there and would be obsessed with finding my way to them.
He knew that across the street from the very school my ministry host volunteers is a Beach where there happens to be a Penguin Colony… And that at the exact moment we were there would be a man named Gerald, with no legs, once severely suicidal and struggling with unforgiveness that would be sitting along our path needing ministering to!
Maybe God wanted to use us to give him a word that will change the course of his life… and that most random desire wasn’t so random but a tool God would use to further the Kingdom. A lot of times we try to figure out life, we ask questions like why is God taking me through this situation, or even why do I want to touch a real life penguin. Then I remember Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Everything that happens fits together in perfect puzzle pieces in a way we sometimes may not understand. What I do know is that we can rest in the fact that God is the orchestrator of all things, and has created us to do good works which were prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
What desires has God planted in your heart that will one day be used to further the Kingdom?
