Today was beautiful and I just can’t get over it.
The last couple of days have been a little tough on me. I’ve been internally struggling with negative thoughts and have been very hard on myself. I’ve tried to find comfort in missing my family and friends and have just wanted to find something familiar. Yesterday, my eyes were opened. It’s time to stop the negativity and enjoy my race.
I woke up yesterday morning and knew I had too much to do. I sat on the edge of my bed stressed out. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I didn’t have enough time to accomplish everything. If I only had a couple more hours in the day, I thought. I didn’t want break the promises I had made to people I care about.
Instead of going to the English, mega church that we usually go to, we went to a local church where services are normally spoken in Afrikaans. Anthea, our ministry host, was sharing the message and we wanted to be by her side, rooting her on. Teams Wimbi and Wildfire lead worship to open the service. I was praying for the Holy Spirit to come into the church and open the hearts of the people.
Coincidentally to my day, Anthea’s message was about redeeming time. “How much time are you spending with the Lord? Where is your time going? What are you spending your time on?” she asked the congregation. Wow, God, I thought. I’m listening, what do you have for me?
In the middle of the service a little boy who had been sitting in the second row behind Anthea walked back to my row and wiggled his way through to the farthest seat against the wall.
He looked at me and put a set of keys in my hand. He didn’t say word before he turned around to head back to his seat.
“These aren’t mine,” I whispered to him. He didn’t even look at me and continued walking away. I looked at my teammate Mary and said, “What am I supposed to do with these?” She shrugged her shoulders.
I sat there and tried to figure out whose keys I was holding and why the boy brought them to me out of everyone in the entire church. Maybe Anthea dropped them and he brought them to me because he knows we’re living with her, I considered. No, because he could’ve handed them to Chantai sitting closest to the aisle of my row. I looked up and the boy was staring at me.
When we walked up to close the service with one last worship song, I gave the keys to Anthea and told her what happened. She asked the congregation whose they were and they were claimed by an older lady who normally leads worship. She had been sitting in the front row but on the opposite side of the little boy.
Following the service, the woman who was sitting next to the worship leader came up to me.
“The boy didn’t give you those keys for no reason,” she said. “The Lord is giving you those keys. It’s time for you to unlock some new doors and open them. Embark new places. He wants you to embrace the places around you and seek them with Him.”
I was in shock. The few days before I had been struggling in my thoughts, getting super distracted while trying to listen to the Lord and there He was, speaking to me. Saying, “Lock the old doors, unlock the new and discover new places with me. I’m right here.”
Lord, I’m picking up the keys and running to you. I’m going to the first place and unlocking that door with no hesitations. I’m clearing my mind of all distractions and allowing you to come in and lead me. Show me what’s behind that door.
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth, will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” -Matthew 16:19
What would you do if Jesus gave you a set of keys? Would you go running to open the door and see what He has for you? Or would you hesitate and say no?
