Hey everyone!
One of the stories that I’ve been meaning to share with y’all was from when we were in the Philippines last month, and I literally became a Godmother in a McDonald’s while eating a McFlurry!
Looking back on that memory, I am still just as stunned and honored as I was in the moment that my new friend, JayEm, would give me such a special role in her son’s life. JayEm and I met during my first week in the Philippines, while I was helping out at the pregnancy clinic in the community we were serving in (the same pregnancy clinic that I helped deliver a baby in just a few weeks later!). As soon as I met JayEm, we got to talking and I felt instantly connected to her. She has such a sweet, joyful spirit and I loved learning about her and hearing about how her pregnancy was going. She told me about her unborn son, Isaiah Zachary (who she calls Zach), and how the Lord gave her his name in a dream one night. She told me about how she was having trouble sleeping since baby Zach has become so active whenever she lays down. She told me about her boyfriend and their plans to get married and move into their own place at the end of this month. From that first meeting, to the other times that we were able to connect during the month our team was in the Philippines, I was able to learn so much about her, her life and her pregnancy, how she is trusting the Lord during this time, and her dreams for her and her family’s future.
Before Greg and I left the country, we took JayEm out to lunch at the McDonald’s down the road from where we were staying (there weren’t too many restaurant options in the Cainta neighborhood we were in). As I was eating my McFlurry and JayEm was snacking on some fries, she let me know that she had an important question she wanted to ask me. She asked me if I would have the honor of being the Ninang (Godmother in Tagalog) to Isaiah Zachary! I was so touched I could have cried into my McFlurry, right there in the middle of McDonald’s! I let her know that I would love to be Zach’s Ninang, and even though we will not be physically close to each other, I will always be praying for her and Zach and will keep them close to my heart. I prayed over her and her pregnancy right after we finished our lunch, and let her know how excited I was to keep in touch with her through social media and video calls. I also let JayEm know that she better send me updates and pictures of baby Zach so I can see him grow up! JayEm made sure to let me know that Greg and I always have a place to stay with her whenever we’re back in the Philippines and how much of an impact I had on her, even though we were only in her community for a little while.
The evening after I said goodbye to JayEm, I told my teammates about how surprised I was that I had become a Godmother earlier that day! They replied that they really weren’t surprised because they see that God gave me the gift of connecting with people and that JayEm was able to become close to me in such a short time because of that gift. Their kind words brought this verse from 1 Peter to my mind…
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
God gives each of us unique gifts to serve others. They’re not for us to keep to ourselves. If someone has the gift of serving it isn’t so he can serve himself. If someone has the gift of giving it isn’t so she can go out and buy herself presents. God gives us gifts to USE to bless others.
So friends, let’s use our gifts. Let’s bless others with the blessings that God has given us.
I am so grateful that God gave me a heart for connecting with others, and that He crossed my path with JayEm’s and a sweet friendship was formed because of it. I’m grateful for her life, for baby Zach’s life, and the honor I have to be his Ninang.
By His Grace,
Alyssa
