It started as a whisper.
“i was made for more.”
Most of us have these childhood dreams of who or what we want to be when we grow up. I wanted to be a ballerina … and a doctor … and a veterinarian … and a teacher … and an astronaut. I literally wanted to be ALL of those things, and I could argue how it would be possible. You see, when I was a kid, I had lots of ambition and I held on tightly to the notion that I could do and become whatever I wanted. As I grew up, the dreams that I once proclaimed loudly and boldly were drowned out until there was nothing left but a whisper. A whisper that I ignored until it was silenced.
When I decided to go on the World Race about 2 years ago, I was certain that everything in my life was going to change and I anxiously awaited this new purpose, new person, and new plan that God would soon reveal. It was at this point that the whisper began to resurface; and ever since I decided to pay attention to it, I’ve been trying to figure out what exactly my “more” is. Once the World Race & Re-entry crazy began quieting down, the whisper began getting louder. The more I pressed in to hear this whisper more clearly, the more I realized that the MORE I was created for wasn’t anything new. While I was waiting for this ‘new’ thing that God was calling me into, the Lord slowly began showing me that He wasn’t interested in doing anything new or different. Instead, all He wanted to do was show me the purpose that I was originally created for.
As an Adventures Fellow there is a lot of talk about passion and calling. We recently did an exercise that was meant to help us find common threads and themes in our life that would guide us towards our calling – the unique purpose that we were created to accomplish. This questionnaire asked things about our passions, our needs, our drivers and motivators, our personal characteristics and qualities, our greatest achievements, our hopes, and our dreams. After the exercise, I felt like my answers were all over the place! I needed to find a way to piece it all together, but nothing seemed to fit or make sense.
I thought long and hard about my answers to the questions. I’ve known for a long time the things that I wanted to do with my life, but I could never bring myself to tell others about it. Now that this questionnaire pretty much verified that I don’t have a clear sense of direction, I REALLY wanted to keep my fantasies to myself. Somehow 8 year old Kristina knew something that the 28 year old me chose to forget; yet this Calling exercise brought it all back full circle. Christ created me to be Free. Compassionate. Giving. Loving. Daring. Fearless. I was made for more than the life that I’d chosen; however, it wasn’t anything more than the life that my Creator authored for me in the beginning. It just took me a few years to realize it.
As a result of this calling exercise, I decided to pump the volume up on that small whisper and let my secret out. I decided to share my crazy dream with the rest of the Fellows. I told them how I desire to develop and impact the lives of young women through dance. I want to use the creative outlet of dance (and maybe even art, music, poetry & spoken word) to give young adults practical tools such as discipline and help them cultivate their natural gifts; but, I also want to use the time I have with them to grow them spiritually and tell them about the hope, freedom, and identity they have in Christ. I want them to discover their identity and the beauty in their individuality! I want them to realize they have something great to offer the world, and that they are a treasure worthy of honor and respect.
After sharing this with the group, we brainstormed ways that I could turn my dream into a reality, possibly a career. It was so exciting to hear of possibilities that I’d never even thought of, and I began asking the Lord to speak louder by opening doors and opening my eyes to the endless possibilities that He can provide.
“Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go”
The Lord told me not to fear; not to be afraid of my lack of experience, the size of my dream, or the reactions of others. He told me to begin talking about my Kingdom desires and to no longer keep it a secret. As a result of me telling only a few people about my interests, new opportunities suddenly became available to me, I’ve become aware of other programs & organizations that are doing something similar, and I’ve met someone else who shares the same vision as I do! In fact, the more I talk about it the more real it becomes!
Now, I’m letting the secret out to any and everyone who will listen!
If it hadn’t been for the Fellowship and it’s focus in developing us spiritually while helping us identify our Kingdom calling, it’s likely that I wouldn’t be in the place I am now. I would still be afraid to dream and still be limited by my natural circumstances. I definitely wouldn’t have the community and connections that I’ve estab lished during my time here – and it’s only been 2 months!! The Fellowship is more than a program that I’ve entered to hold me over until I figure out what to do next; this is a part of God’s plan for my life and a part of my growth process. In similar fashion, your support is more than just a tax deductible donation to a 501c3; it’s YOUR chance to impact the Kingdom of God and sow into my Kingdom dream!
I’ve let my secret out and told you how God is using the Fellowship to guide me into this calling, but here’s another secret – God never planned for us to realize our dreams alone. I need to raise an additional $4350 by January in order to remain in this program until March. I’m beginning to realize that because of the direction that I’m headed, support raising may very well be a major part of the process towards my ultimate calling. Because of this, I am looking for people who believe in me, believe in the work that the Lord is doing in my life, and believe in my Kingdom dreams to partner with me by becoming a Monthly Sponsor. This means that you would commit to giving towards my account on a monthly basis and you can give whatever amount you can afford. Monthly sponsors do more than keep me in a specific program, they become ministry partners and a significant part of the lives that we’re changing!
I ask that you would prayerfully consider becoming my ministry partner. If you are willing to say YES, simply click on the link below to set up your monthly donations. It’s time out for secrets, let’s begin making dreams come true!
SUPPORT KRISTINA SMITH: http://adventures.org/dynapay/
