I cannot believe that I am about to approach my 27th birthday! How did I get that old?! It seems like yesterday I was waking my mom up at the crack of dawn to take me to get my license. She used to tell me when I was little “enjoy life baby cause as you get older, the years fly by”. I used to roll my eyes cause at the time all I wanted was to grow up. At that age, I pictured myself in a wildly different place than I am. I figured I would be married with a few kids by now. My life sure doesn’t have a white picket fence anywhere around, however I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I am grateful for the life I have lived. It sure hasn’t been an easy one, and there have been moments I didn’t think I could carry on. BUT God. He has always seen me through each day. My life hasn’t been picture perfect, but it sure has been a life fully lived. I have been able, by God’s never-ending grace and the generosity of so many incredible supporters, to see things most people only dream of. How many people can say they have hiked an active volcano, or seen the sunrise over the Himalayas, or played with a full-grown tiger or jumped out of an airplane? Who else can say they’ve had ants for dinner, lama for lunch and chomped on a cockroach for a snack? Yes, my life has been nothing short of a wild ride. I’ve seen the Grand Canyon, ridden a ferry under Niagara Falls, ran the Chicago marathon, led a Hindu to Christ, swam in the oceans on each cost, ridden an elephant, been on live TV in India, seen Mount Everest, preached at an open air crusade in Africa, and witnessed a miracle…the bottom line is, although my life sure doesn’t look like I thought it would, I have truly LIVED a full life.
As I approach this 27th birthday, I am in the country of South Africa. Which marks the 27th country my feet have treaded on. It truly has been an honor to be able to dedicate most of my years to the furthering of the Kingdom. Although I have done and seen some amazing sites, it’s the lives changed that truly makes my life worth living. None of the other stuff really matters in the light of eternity. I wouldn’t trade anything in my life. The nights where I’ve cried myself to sleep in my hopelessness, the days I’ve laughed so hard I nearly peed my pants, and all the moments that have taken my breath away. All of them have made me who I am today.
So here’s to being 27 years old. Thank you God for another year of life. Thank you to every single person who has helped me get here. Each prayer, word of encouragement, gift and support has been irreplaceable. I couldn’t have done it on my own. I’ve been blessed to know some pretty incredible people over the years, and I will never forget what each of you have done for me; thank you for making my life so RICH.
Thank you to my wonderful parents for raising me to believe in dreams bigger than myself and in the God who actually can make them possible, to my wonderful sister and best friends, my family…I could go on and on. As I reflect on my life, the greatest assets I possess are the remarkable people God allowed me to share my life with. I am so grateful He wrote each of you into my story.
Even though I am basically 30 now and have like 6 gray hairs, I have many things worth celebrating! My family, my friends, my salvation, my health…but mostly it’s knowing that over the past 27 years I’ve made an impact for the life to come; my life hasn’t been a waste. If I went home to be with Jesus today, I would feel confident knowing I’ve given Him everything I had.
