Team Deep with Amy, the director of Grace Center
This past month, my team got to spend some time at the Grace Center, a children’s home in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. God provided me the opportunity to use my counseling and play therapy skills with some children and staff, but also provided me time to do something else I love to do…be creative and paint! Although I felt God providing ME with the things I love to do, He reminded me of His power in numbers…and how 2 heads are better than 1, and in my team’s case 4 heads are better than 2!
We were asked to make a stark white sleeping room into a warm and restful nursery. God quickly gave me a vision of counting sheep…no wait, sleeping sheep…on peaceful green hills…under the stars. I led the way, sketching out gentle hills and fluffy white sheep. I delegated colors and painting jobs, and drawing and fixing. As we were drawing, one of my teammates added a barn to the top of a hill. My first thought…”not a part of the plan!”…but my second thought…”it’s cute!” We continued throughout the week working on the mural, adding color and details. As we are painting the stars onto the night sky, another teammate suggests “we should paint THE star…above the barn…that showed the shepherds and wise men where Jesus was born!” My first thought again…”not a part of the plan”…but shortly after…“God…you are so cool!”
How cool is God that He takes “my” idea that doesn’t start out being about Him…and keeps adding to it and adding to it until it IS about Him. Hello, story of my life! And He ever so gently reminds me that I’m not walking alone…I have a community full of beautiful and gifted teammates to make my ideas and my life even more beautiful and colorful. Thanks, God! I think You’re pretty awesome…but You already knew that!
Love y’all.
