We made it to ministry in Ecuador! 31 hour bus ride, 5 days of debrief and another 4 hour bus ride later, we are at IncaLink Ecuador.
When we got here on Monday, we found out the ministry we would be working with: Camp Hope, a center for people with special needs. People with special needs have such a sweet spot in my heart. I imagined getting to play with all of the people there, being the hands and feet of Jesus, praying for healing and loving them to the ends of the earth.
And then, on our first day of ministry at Camp Hope, I found out that I was going to be pulling weeds. I wasn’t stoked. I didn’t want to do it. Pulling weeds was not in the vision that I had for my month here. But I think that most of the time, that’s how the Lord works. He turns the visions of our flesh upside down so that we can continuously learn that we are not in control and every single time, He has some sweet things to teach us.
As I was pulling weeds with Kat and Madison, I pulled out a huge weed, one with deep roots, and I just started thinking about how it was such a metaphor for our lives. Every person has roots, and we get to choose where we find a home for those roots. We can choose to root ourselves in social media or unhealthy relationships or tv, music, movies & the internet or work.
Truly,our roots are so important and it’s all about where we plant our seed, and how we want to bear fruit.
For most of my life, I have found my roots in things of the world. Of finding fulfillment in boys, of finding worth in the things that people say about me, of needing to please everyone around me and of wanting control of all of the things around me. And interspersed between all of those roots are waves of anxiety, nervousness and depression that come and uproot everything I know, leaving me empty and more anxious than before. It’s a hard place to find yourself.
Slowly, I am learning the importance of planting every seed of mine in the Lord, so that my roots will flourish in His love.
When I root myself in Abba, the Creator of the Universe, my Papa, I know that even when the waves of anxiety and nervousness and depression come, my roots will stand firm. They will not waver and I can find freedom in binding up my anxiety and handing it to the Lord, who wants to bear my yoke and take my burdens.
When we don’t have our roots in the love of the Lord, we aren’t going to bear fruit that brings Kingdom.
Sometimes, it’s hard to understand that even when I am pulling weeds, I am bringing Kingdom and I am learning more about the Lord, His favor and His character.
If Papa has more lessons like this one in the midst of me pulling weeds, I will choose to pull weeds every single day.
so much love,
car
