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Disclaimer: I’m not pregnant
Calm down guys.
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Today my team and I went to a small town outside of Cusco with an organization called Cooperar Peru. It’s a kids program that focuses on hygeine, lessons, and just loving on the kids for a few hours each day. We were all so excited when we heard about it! It sounded so cool.
So, how was it?
Well for one thing I had socks on when I went…where are they now? Only the good Lord knows. I had to use them to dry a little girls’ shoe because one of the other kids threw it in the toilet (I spent about an hour looking for that shoe before we found it in the bathroom). Shortly after that I lost track of them because I had to chase another kid out of the kitchen before they stole the snacks for later. Then I got distracted with comforting the little girl who owned the aforementioned shoe. Immediately after she was composed we moved onto the next activity… Have you ever tried to teach kids primary/secondary colors with paint? It’s all fun and games until one of the kids thinks it’s funny to paint their neighbor… And then all thirty of the others follow suit. There was paint on the tables, paint on the kids, paint on the floor, paint on the walls, paint everywhere!!! It’s five hours later and I’m still finding paint on my arms! And were these kids quiet in their paint rebellion? Of course not. The screaming and shouting and laughter blended to create a war cry that would have made many a less experienced person turn and flee, but I, being fully versed in the ways of the little savages that children are, stood strong. Brave or foolish who can tell? All I know is I pulled through. Sockless, painted, and with my hair half pulled from my head (a little girl tried to do my hair in the midst of this chaos), I stood in the end. . . Victorious???
Perhaps that’s not quite the right word.
(Oh and did I mention that these kids only speak Spanish and quetchuwa? I pleaded with them in English, Spanglish, and limited Spanish to no avail. They were unstoppable!!!)
It was insane. I was woefully unprepared and ill-equipped. It was hectic. It was crazy. It was unconventional.
It was the best day I’ve had in a long time.
Y’all, there’s a saying. God doesn’t call the equipped, but he equips the called.
I one hundred percent… disagree with it.
The fact is, lots of times God calls us to things that we aren’t equipped for, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that He makes us equipped for them on the way. In reality, it’s not about what we can do. If God has a work to do and He wants to use us to do it then who cares if we are “equipped?” Our weakness doesn’t inhibit His strength. Our foolishness doesn’t stop His wisdom. And our failures don’t change His love. If God is calling you to something that you can’t do, then hallelujah! That means He is going to use you to glorify His name instead of yours. What greater honor could there be?
So in the midst of those screeching wonderful little monsters, I was able to laugh. When it’s outside your ability and control then the pressure is off. When it’s so far outside what you’re equipped to do then all you can do is obey and watch God work. And it’s always always worth it… Even if you lose your socks.
( … Man my feet are cold, I wonder where they actually are?).
