Yesterday, I visited a government facility for girls who have been abused or who have unresolved legal cases. The girls at the home were so excited to have visitors and the fact that our skin is light and we’re from America made them even more curious.
A week ago, I sat on the floor of a family’s small home in the outskirts of Manila. It was maybe 7×7 feet, with just enough room for a makeshift bed and some shelves, but not big enough to stand up in. I listened as the mother of two talked with Ati Sharon (the Director of Children’s Garden, who is also a host for World Race teams).
Two weeks ago, I stood in front of a classroom in Albania as the students asked question after question about me and why I was there.
Since working with Adventures, especially on the World Race, I have been amazed at the places I’ve been welcomed into. Oftentimes, as if I was a distinguished guest they had been expecting.
From an outside perspective, I have no qualifications to be welcomed into most of these places like this.
A jail, a stranger’s home, a government facility, a school, a boys’ home, the list goes on.
I’m not an ambassador or a social worker or a counselor. I’m just a girl from Michigan who loves the Lord.
And yet, time and time again I find that the Lord has clearly made the way for me to be there. Clearly allowed ME to be the one from a different culture and a different country to intersect these people’s lives.
It’s made me want to live every moment of my life with more intention and more awareness of what God is doing than ever before. It makes me want to engage with people rather than being concerned with my own needs, and to choose to look at things of eternal value than things that are only temporary.
In the last week I have asked myself these questions each day:
In the families small home, do I choose to focus on the actual physical discomfort I am in as I am squatting in the corner of the room or do I focus on the young mom in front of me? In the government facility, do I allow the conversation to remain surface level or do I ask real questions and actually try to get to know the girls? And in the classroom, do I take the opportunity to praise myself or do I focus the attention on God and who he is?
I can’t say I’ve succeeded in every moment. Sometimes my focus isn’t on the eternal things or the things that really matter. But I can tell you that I am more aware of how I am spending my time and the opportunities given to me and I am genuinely making the effort to take advantage of every opportunity. I want to use my time wisely, not wasting opportunities to serve the world, to make Jesus’ name known, and to get to know people.
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. – Ephesians 5:15,16
What opportunity has the Lord placed in your life? Are you faithful even in the small things?
These are my thoughts from the last two weeks that I have been in the Philippines. We are here another two and a half months if you could be praying that we grow in our awareness of what God is doing!
Also, I am in need of $950 more for this trip. Thank you so much!
