A few weeks ago, one of my mentors taught a class on sharing the story of God. A part of this series touched on the importance of authenticity in our life’s and how it effects the people around us. So, for my first blog I would like to lay a platform for all the entries to come.
- There is great adventure ahead of me and so many memories waiting to be lived, but there are also many hard days ahead. Facing the real difficulties that come with living in a broken and sinful world like we do. And the challenges of leaving my friends, family, and home, and packing all my things into two backpacks for 9 months.
- One hobby of mine is photography and I am so excited to get to capture moments in the field and to have this page to share the stories behind them. But pictures don’t always share the full story and I am still developing my story telling skills and blogging is still a new form of social media for me. I wish to share with you guy’s moments in my life by sharing the pictures and raw and beautiful stories behind them because I believe that God is intentional and uses each moment to show his love and strength.
- One of the most effective ways to share the good news is by living authentically, with the love of God in our hearts. Walking through life knowing who our savior is and his promises to us, listening to the holy spirit in us. People notice when you live differently, they pick up on the hints of joy you hold and maybe just maybe God will use that to reach someone.
This past summer I was in Guatemala visiting a group of girls when God showed me the power of truth in a new way. These girls were from a poor area in town and this ministry used soccer to share the gospel with the kids and love on them for the short amount of time they spent on the field each day. Most of these girls lived in very strict homes and their afterschool activities were limited to soccer practice, if they could leave the house at all. We had played soccer for a little while and divided into groups to share personal testimonies with each other and I got to share mine. And honestly I sugar coated the hurt I had experienced in my own life a little, and I don’t even have a good excuse why. I sugar coated the pain I had in my heart and the loneliness that only God could fill. Later that day a teenage girl was sharing with me when she opened about the pain she had in her heart after her dad left. She shared of the confusion she was going through and the brokenness that comes with a parent’s abandonment. We had a lot in common and if I had just been more open about where I had been in my own journey with Christ a little earlier who knows where the day would have gone. God is so intentional and used that girl the teach me the importance of being authentic, about the good and the bad. That day taught me a very valuable lesson that I will hold in my heart for a long time to come.
Authenticity and vulnerability are crucial when creating friendships and sharing the story of God. So, I promise to be authentic, showing the days when everything goes right, and the days where everything goes wrong, and everything in between.
