The Big Picture

           We showed up at Gracie's home at the beginning of the week;  little did we know how specifically God was going to use each one of my teammates unique skills during our time there.  As we drove to her home, she explained to  us each child and their individual story. It was a lot to take in and to tell you the truth I was pretty overwhelmed. When we got to her house she  invited us to come meet the 17 kids that live with her. When we walked into the first  room, my eyes were instantly drawn to the two small girls laying on the floor. Their names are Ericka and Ivannia, both girls were born with Cerebral Palsy. I have never believed in love at first sight, but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what happened in that moment. These girls are absolutely beautiful from the inside out; both full of smiles and love. For the rest of my week, I never left their sides. Ivannia's story is heartbreaking. She was found when she was 6 years old weighing only 12 pounds, abandoned and left to die. However, after much prayer and special care by this wonderful family she is still alive and very much so! She loves being held, played with, and is so full of life. Her smile melts my heart.  After getting to know the family better, Gracie found out that Im a licensed  physical therapist assistant. She was elated! She told me she's been praying that someone would come and would be able to help with Ericka and Ivannia. God is so good! It blows me away to think that when I was studying Cerebral Palsy a year ago in school, I was studying for this purpose, for these two girls. I showed Gracie and the nannies there how to gently move the girl's legs and arms to maintain their range of motion and then some basic strengthening exercises. For the entire week, I worked with these girls, doing exercises, holding them, and just loving on the two of them. The physical therapy  was very basic, nothing fancy, but Gracie couldn't of been any happier. Each one of my teammates has a similar story from that week. We have a social worker, a psychology major, and a dental hygienist and it was amazing to see how each one of us was used that week.  2 Timothy 4:5 says "fully carry out the ministry God has given you" It doesn't say "if" God has given you a ministry, but that he "HAS" given you a ministry. He has equip each and every one of us with our own specific ministry. The skills you have, the people that have been put in your life, it is all for a reason. It is for the bigger picture.