God is incredible!!
Y’all are amazing!! If you haven’t already, hit the subscribe button at the top. I’m getting closer and closer to reaching the final fundraising goal of $18,200. (I can’t go on the World Race without your support!) I have full faith that we can reach this goal by September 15th. You can help by clicking the “donate” button on the top right for a one time or monthly donation. We will be intentionally reaching out and sharing the love of Jesus to people in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Lesotho, Swaziland, South Africa, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador. Every bit helps. It’s not how much the giver gives. It’s the heart of the giver. Thank you for giving!!
March has been a whirlwind. I’ve been juggling school work, an internship, “busy season” at work with a lot of travel, ohhh and my sister got married in Vegas!! Wait, what?? Yep. Vegas!
Below is a story of how God showed up in a place people call “Sin City.” It was my first time in Vegas, and I didn’t know what to expect. But out of all the situations I could have imagined, this was definitely a curve ball.
My mom and I decided to wake up early the first morning in Vegas and do some adrenaline rush activities. I told her as long as I was free-falling, swinging, ziplining, or something along those lines, I’d be good. Mom is always down for fun too, so we headed toward the Stratosphere for a ride that reached 1,081 feet in the air. (Casual Monday)
When we got off the ride, we started walking around inside the Stratosphere. Looking at the shops, restaurants, and honestly just trying to get our heart rate down from the ride. A worker from one of the shops approached us and asked us to try a free sample of lotion. She invited us into the shop and was telling us about the products.
My mom and I both looked at each other like… why did we follow her in here? Now we’re trapped. How are we going to tell her NO? How are we going to leave? This is awkward. Side note: the lotion was $1,200. Yea, ok. If you’ve ever watched the Lizzie McGuire movie where her little cartoon character appears, starts screaming and runs away, that’s exactly what my character would’ve been doing in that moment.
The girl ended up being my age, and she was so friendly! In a matter of 30 mins, we were all friends. We shared stories about life, love and the pursuit of happiness (haha), and after about an hour or so later, she asked us to come back the following day for free facials. Uhhhhh yes. 
Before we go into this next part, you need to know some things about my mom. She is the most loyal, faithful woman I know. She has a servant’s heart. She just loves helping others. That’s her thing. She will go out of her way, drop what she’s doing and drive to help you. But I also know that my mom doesn’t like change. She doesn’t even change up her order at restaurants. Yes, she’s THAT girl.
While we were exploring Vegas, it kind of hit us. Summer (my little sister) was getting married. Our baby was getting married. Our third musketeer was getting married. Of course we were so happy for her! We knew she was happy, but reality set in: things were changing. And remember, that’s my mom’s least favorite thing. However, being the optimists that we are, we were determined to make the most of it. I mean heyyyyy we were in a new city, and we were there together to celebrate my sister’s big day. YAY SUMMER!!
That night at dinner, my mom was zoned out. Honestly, she had seemed zoned out the entire trip. She wasn’t snapping out of it though, so I asked her what was wrong. She kept saying “nothing is wrong, baby. I promise.” Over and over.
I knew she was hiding something. I just didn’t know what it was. There was a sadness in her eyes. Something that had been there for a while, but it was even more noticeable. The sadness turned into her being kind of snappish. It was getting worse, and I didn’t know what to do.
I went to bed just worried about her. What could I say? What could I do to help?
I woke up around 6am the next morning. Mom and I were sharing a bed, so I laid there beside her and began praying for her. I knew her story. I knew what she had been through. I knew she struggled with feeling useless and abandoned– from my dad, her parents, now me and summer. Everything was changing, and even though she was trying to be strong, she was struggling with it.
Has life ever made you feel like that? The enemy starts telling you lies about yourself, and quite frankly, you start believing them. Fear overtakes your thoughts. No one needs me. Why would someone want to stay? I’ll never be enough for them. Be honest with yourself. Have you ever had these thoughts? You need to see it for what it is: an attack from the enemy.
I placed my hand on my mom and began praying for God to place someone in her life to tell her she is loved. To tell her she is worth more than she sees. My sister and I had been telling her for years, but I knew deep down she struggled with believing it. So before anyone woke up that morning, that’s all I did. Prayed. With tears in my eyes, I prayed. God please show her how much you love her.
A few hours later, we were ready to start the day, and mom and I were ready to get our facials. We made our way to the Stratosphere, stopped and got coffee for our new friend, and anticipated a normal, yet adventure filled Vegas day.
But God had something so much better!
Mom went first. We sat in a room toward the back excited about the facials. The girl started asking mom why she wanted a facial? Mom replied with “I don’t know.” The girl asked what she saw when she looked in the mirror? Mom replied with “I don’t know.” The girl asked if she could change one thing about her skin what would it be? And again, my mom said “I don’t know.”
Now remember, we had just met our new friend the day before. She didn’t know about our family. She didn’t know what mom was struggling with. She didn’t even know what I had prayed for that morning. But boy did God use her to speak truth to my mom.
The girl stopped the facial, looked at my mom, and told her she had no reason to put on a mask. She was loved, worthy of love, needed in the lives of her family and that God had a great life for her if she would just trust and start living. “Today,” she said. “Start living, really living, no mask, without fear, TODAY.” And hugged her. Literally held her in a hug as my mom cried. My mom broke down. It was like a weight had been lifted off of her.
I sat there in awe. What in the world just happened? That was out of nowhere. We were sitting in a random shop in Vegas, hanging out with a new friend who was practically a stranger, and there He was: God.
My mom looked at the girl, looked at me, and with tears in her eyes, she laughed and asked if I had been talking to her because she sounded just like me. I told her NO, it was God. The girl was the answer to my prayer.
My mom’s entire demeanor changed from that point.
How do you see yourself? How does God see you?
God loves you. He does! You are a child of God “created in the image of God” Genesis 1:27. He wants to bless your life, and He will. Don’t believe the lies of the enemy. They’re only lies. But they will trap you in feeling unloved, useless and abandoned if you let them. John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
LOVE Y’ALL!!
If you don’t believe that God heals, read: New Year- New Perspective. If you don’t believe God can change your life, read: Fear and Fake Smiles.
Song of the week: “Fear is a Liar” by Zach Williams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1srs1YoTVzs
