Standing on a roof top in Siem Reap, Cambodia, we lit candles and worshipped. As I stood there, as I do every New Years, I thought of all the things that have happened to me in the last year and all that God has taught me. This last month in Thailand I was feeling pretty low. Being away from home for the holidays is always hard and I was definitely feeling the weight of homesickness. So the last month I haven’t allowed myself to feel God’s love for me or his presence. But today He hit me with all that He’s given me in the past year and I was overwhelmed with gratitude and thankfulness.
As I reflected on my year my mind started a little video montage if you will of the faces of the people who have touched my life this year. The song “Beautiful things” started playing and the tears started flowing. “You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of the dust. You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of us.”
“The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7
God has shown me his beauty this year not through nature like I usually see it and Him, but through his most prized creation: PEOPLE. The last four months he has revealed to me over and over again that these are his children whom he loves.
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And this is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
I think of all the way back to January, of my Disney Wonder family, the people I met there. My friends on the ship who became my family and who accepted me even though I’m different from them! God really created a beautiful group of people who can work for a company like that and make it what it is! They taught me never to be afraid of who I am. To be okay with being a little silly or weird. They taught me about the magic of the world. They are God’s beautiful creation.
I think of little Makenna, the girl I nannied for. She taught me the innocence of a child, and how to really see the world through their eyes. To see the wonderment of a rock on the sidewalk, or the joy of digging in the dirt. She taught me that imagination should never die. She is God’s beautiful creation.
I think of my incredible K squad family who I finally met in July and who are now my family for the next year. I can’t even begin to describe how much beauty they hold or what they have taught me. They know me in and out and have only been in my life for 5 short months! They are carrying God’s light around the world and setting it on fire!! They are God’s beautiful creation.
Then the faces of every one I’ve met around the world who have blown my vision of beauty out of the water. The face of the special needs kids at the school in Guatemala. Little Magdelena and Joel with their toothless grins. They are beautiful. The homeless boys in Nicaragua. The people who work at the dump in Nicaragua, who had nothing but the clothes on their backs, and humbling took a plate of food from us, for some the only food for their whole week. They are beautiful. Every single girl at Wipe Every Tear in the Philippines, and every single girl who is still stuck in the sex trade in those cities. They are beautiful. For all of the Christians who attend the small congregation at Phang Nga church in Thailand. For being the light in a country with only 2% christianity! They are beautiful. The faces of my team, team Reptar/Godzilla. My friends. My sisters. My team. They have taught me more than I thought I could ever know! They have loved me more than anyone ever has in my life, besides God. They are soooo beautiful.
As this year comes to a close and I look back I just see God’s beautiful children. His creation that stares into my face everyday. Beauty is not about the outward appearance but about the heart, soul, and character of the person. Beauty is about the One who shines inside of you. If Jesus is in your life, your beauty is so outstandingly beautiful that people cannot look at you. I want to be that beautiful. I think I am, I hope I am. I want to light the candle of every person’s soul who I meet in this world. I want Jesus to shine so bright in my life that I catch the World on fire, one person at a time! Thank you God for creating us. Thank you God for your beautiful Children! Thank you for making me one of those children! I look forward to what you have to teach me in this coming year!
Happy New Year everyone!
