Mis-sion-ary, (noun)
A person who leaves their
family for a while,
so others can be with their
families for eternity.
I love to write. It’s something that comes so naturally and so easily, if given an idea or topic I could research and write an entire essay, start to finish, in one sitting – no rough drafts or outlines required. But writing about myself? Heh.
See, I’m a hypocritical introvert. I keep to myself for the most part and am totally fine with sitting in a room full of strangers and not saying a single word. And while most people would go crazy at the thought, you could lock me alone in a room for days and I’d be fine just being by myself. Shoot, I’d probably get a good nap in.
On the flip side, I can be the loudest, goofiest, most outgoing and adventurous person in the world. Once I get to know the people I’m around, I can talk like we’ve known each other for years.
So, about me…sure, I could give you the basics on myself, like I’m a 17 year old homeschooled senior in high school, I’ve been homeschooled all my life along with my 4 siblings (I’m the 2nd oldest out of the 5…man, Mom, I don’t know how you’re doing it), that I work a part time job like most people and plays sports (like most people) when I can, that I was accepted into my dream college here in good ol’ Indiana, that I have pets, activities I enjoy, places to be, blah, blah, blah, so on and so forth…
And there’s nothing wrong with that description of myself. I mean, it is me after all. Nothing I wrote in that paragraph is false. But, after reading it, do you really know me? The truth is, no. Technology is awesome and I love it and use it to communicate and get stuff done all the time, but you can never really ‘know’ a person until you get to meet them face to face. Obviously, this whole post ‘about me’ is so that those who read it can get to know me, but based off of what I just said about technology and such, I seem to be contradicting myself.
So, how can I describe myself accurately when I’m shy, silly, quiet, loud, and typing words on a screen isn’t an adequate way to get to know someone?
My heart.
My heart is what defines me – how God defines us, how we all should define each other. It’s what we should look at when we meet a person, not outward appearance or a “first glance” personality judgment based off brief passing contact.
So, what does my heart look like?
Heart for Kids – I love kids sooo much! I love cuddling the littlest of kiddos or playing baseball with youngsters who remind me of my 4 siblings. I’ve served at my church actively since 5th grade, with ages ranging anywhere from newborns to co-leading a small group of 6th grade girls.
Heart for Missions – Hands down, traveling is one of my favorite things to do. I love getting to experience different traditions and cultures. There’s so much beautiful world out there that God has created for us to see, and I’m grateful to say that thus far I’ve had the privilege of going on missions trips with my church to both India and the Dominican Republic.
Heart for the Hurting – Been there, done that, I know what it’s like to feel helpless and alone, like God is the farthest from you ever. I may not be great at public speaking, but I know that sharing my story, or being a silent, listening ear to hear the stories of others, are some of the ways best to encourage those struggling with challenges.
Heart for Service – I love to volunteer has much as I can, in whatever ways I can. No job is too big or too small in Gods eyes, and you have the power to show the love of Christ to others simply through daily activities, and being an example of Him of His light.
Heart for Worship – Nothing makes me happier than singing Gods praises and seeing others do the same. And it doesn’t always have to be singing in church do be considered worshiping. Similar to service, you can worship God through the little things, and remember in your heart that everything, big or small, is for His glory and for the Kingdom.
Heart for Ministry – This one isn’t how most people would see it. I’m by no bounds a preacher, or have any inclination to become one, but I try my best to be a good example and further God’s kingdom in whatever ways I can. I involve myself in ministry at my home church as much as possible, specifically kids ministry, but also like meeting with people one on one and really studying and diving into the Bible and what it has to say, challenging them but also myself.
“Hey, what happened to, ‘I’m an introvert, I hate talking about myself’? This thing is like two pages long!”
Well, yes. And, yes again.
See, like I said, I’m a writer. I guess I get that from my Mom, she was always writing notes and letters to us kids when we were little, so that one day when we’re older we can look through the scrapbooks and read what she had to say – so we can read her stories.
Everyone has a story to tell. And even though yes, I’m an introvert, I don’t like attention, I still have a story. There have been times it feels like I’m walking right next to God, times it feels like He’s not there (trust me, He always is), and times when He’s dragged me through life kicking and screaming because I’m just a kid, and parents know what’s best for their kids, even when they don’t like it. Those are the kinds are of stories that tell you the most about a person. Those are the kinds of ways to get to know someone – where they were, and how far God has brought them out of that place. And I have plenty of those stories, don’t doubt it. I’m definitely not a perfect person and I know that, and my stories could tell you so much more beyond just my name, age, and what I like to do on Saturdays (go to work is what I do, in case you were wondering, but I don’t always like it).
But those are stories for another day. I’m a writer, and I most definitely could keep on writing and writing and writing, but this is already a lot of reading, so I’ll spare you…for now 🙂
I remember once seeing a video that talked about how when we ask someone their name, we’re asking them for part of their story. If we don’t, we judge them based of off what we see or what others have told us, and not what we hear from them.
So in other words, that’s me, my heart, and some of my story.
What’s yours?
