There was this one beautiful day in Malawi where I felt more like who God designed me to be than I ever had before. We went to a village right across the street from African Bible Colleges Lilongwe campus. We were visiting the home of one of the maids at the academy. Her name is Rose. She welcomed us into her home and let us pray with her and her daughter. She told us about her desires to finish school and become a teacher. And her hope to build a small home near her house that she could rent out for extra income.
After the visit she walked us around her village and introduced us to their chief! So cool!! Then she let me draw water from a well and walk with it on my head like a real African woman!! All the children laughed so hard!!
Then we returned to the front of her house where my teammates and I gathered all the children (this isn’t hard to do at all because they flocked to us). We danced with them and sang with them and chased them around!! I even got the women to dance. I was laughing so hard and so was everyone else. I remember feeling like I was designed for moments like that. I have learned on the race that God has made me to be someone who spreads joy and this was one of the moments that stands out the most.
After we got in the car to drive home our contact told me that all the women were saying “We want to dance with Christina.” What?!? They were talking about dancing with me?! God used those two hours to confirm in my life that I am meant to spread joy. And that He is most glorified when I am living who He designed me to be.
Fast forward 4 months. I received a message from our contact saying that he visited Rose’s village and saw that she had built a new house. But he went on to say that all the women were mad at her for building the house where “they danced with Christina.”
Wait WHAT?!??
4 months later they were still talking about that small amount of time we spent together. It blessed me more than I can explain. I am not sharing this to boast about myself in any way. I am just realizing that small moments matter and living as the person God designed me to be is where I will have the most impact for His kingdom.
