An entry from my journal on May 24, 2015, written in Malaysia:
“I had a great birthday in Nepal. I woke up at 4:45 AM to take a bus to a village greatly affected by the earthquake. It took us about 2 hours to drive there. We stopped for breakfast at some point before starting the trek down the mountain, handing out bags of rice and bags with medical supplies and water filters in them. It took us about 2 and half hours to go down the mountain, stopping at houses along the way to drop things off and talk to and pray with the people. It was a grueling hour and a half back up the mountain. While the day was a lot of work, I really enjoyed it. It was great to be surrounded by this beautiful scenery of trees and mountains.”
Riveting, I know. But on the eve of my 26th birthday, I can’t help but look back to that day last year and how much joy I had in celebrating my 25 years of life in serving a nation so desperately in need of physical, emotional and spiritual support.
This year, while I’m still geographically distanced from my family and closest friends, the way I’m serving is a little more behind the scenes. I’m creating a website for parents of racers to get better connected and more informed. I’m designing banners that will be used at Parent Launch to encourage more engagement. I’m piecing together an online course that takes parents through a book study that will thrust them into their own spiritual journey alongside their son or daughter. I’m investing in myself, furthering my education on spiritual, professional, and leadership development in preparation for bigger serving opportunities in the future.
Serving “behind the scenes” continually teaches me what it looks like to serve in humility. I don’t have cute pictures of me playing with dirt covered children in Africa or miraculous stories of healings in Asia anymore. Instead, I’m quietly working away at an office in Georgia, planting the seeds and tending to the plants that the people on the front lines are getting to collect the harvest of. And the thing is -I love it. I see God’s glory every day reflected in the little things, the things I was too obtuse and self absorbed to notice before. He had to demonstrate His glory for me in BIG ways to get my attention, growing me to be able to notice Him in all things.
“As it is in the height and breadth and glory of the sunshine that the smallest speck dancing in its beams is seen, even so humility is taking our place in God’s presence to be nothing but a speck dancing in the sunlight of His love.”
-Andrew Murray from his book Humility-
Celebrate my birthday by dancing as a speck in the sunlight of His love with me. Consider partnering with my financially, enabling me to continue to humbly serve Him in the last 3 months of The Fellowship. God has brought in $3,003 of my total goal of $9,350.
Would you bless me with a birthday gift? Perhaps $26 for my 26th birthday?
For funzies, here’s a pic from my birthday celebration with my family last weekend of my sister-in-law and I pretending to finish off my ice cream cake just to taunt my absent brother because we were supposed to save him a piece. 😉
