When I signed up for CGA, part of me hoped that I would find out what to do with my life. I knew that CGA was designed to launch young people into their calling, so I hoped to be one of the few to figure this mystery out!
And guess what???
I FOUND MY LIFE CALLING!!!!
During the first semester, we took a course called “Discover Your Calling” by Neil Bruinsma, facilitated by the lovely Marielle. It was great! It was like putting together a puzzle of information about ourselves; passions, the world’s needs we want to meet, skills, personalities, strengths, life experiences that have shaped us, core motivations, kingdom dreams, goals, and plans to action. It all lead to lead us to one sentence, our calling.
I won’t tell you everything I gathered and came up with. But I will share my favorite pieces of the puzzle.
The world’s needs that I feel called to meet (the things that break my heart the most) and some of my passions.
Orphans. It’s the whole reason I am here. This breaks my heart more than I can explain. It always has. And now that I’ve learned more about the orphan crisis, I feel incredibly called to be a part of the solution. I want to bring awareness to others, advocate for orphans, and encourage others to be passionate too.
Adoption. It’s my favorite. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to adopt. Sounds a little strange, but it totally makes sense now.
Even as a little girl, when my sisters and I played imaginary friends, I was into adoption. My sisters’ imaginary friends were their friends, but mine were my adopted children. Yeah, I was a weird little kid. Playing mom to invisible people (named Amy and Elizabeth).
As I have grown up, I have seen adoption, and have noticed the beautiful gift that it is. Adoption is absolutely in my future.
The adoption process in difficult. I know this. I have lived it. I moved with a new family at the age of 13. I was broken. I had lost my mom, been separated from my sisters, moved across the country, and was getting thrown into another family. It wasn’t easy. And my story is one of millions.
The process can be hard on everyone involved. The child could have a number of issues they are bringing with them into their new family. Trauma, abuse, neglect, developmental delays, learning disabilities, anger issues, depression, social problems, etc, etc, etc.
And the adoptive parents could have the hardest time taking in a child like this. They could feel like they’ve made a mistake, want to give up, or simply lack the education on what to do in this situation.
Family. This is so my heart. I just love family. God does too. That’s His plan for orphans. Psalm 68:6 has become one of my favorite verses. He places the lonely in families.
God has been speaking to me a lot over the past 3 months about family (that’s a whole different blog). After all, He adopts us into HIS family. That’s the best gift ever.
I have been falling more in love with the idea of family and developing a passion to fight for healthy family for others.
Restoration. I know what it’s like to be a broken child. I grew up without a father, lived in foster care, had a sick mom growing up, lost my mom at the age of 12, moved with one family, moved with another. I was lost. And my spirit was in need of healing. And the healing that I found, though Jesus, brought new hope to my life. I want that for others. I want that so bad for children that have gone through awful things. I want them to have the hope of Christ.
My life calling is…
To address the orphan crisis by drawing attention to the need, connecting orphaned, abused, and abandoned children with healthy family, offering necessary support to adoptive families, and providing these children with love, healing, restoration, and hope.
I can’t believe it! It sounds so perfect. It makes so much sense!!!
The funny thing about “calling,” is that sometimes it just has to click. Realistically, I had been doing parts of that calling for years. And I knew that I was passionate about some parts of it. But now, after hearing it, defined, arranged in one long sentence, I totally get it! I am so beyond excited to walk in the clarity and direction of this calling.
With my life calling, I now have an umbrella to live under. I can filter decisions, walk certain paths, and live out what God’s called me to. For example, I am probably not called to marry someone that hates the idea of adoption. Obvi.
What I am doing in Guatemala is truly the biggest blessing, and falls right under this umbrella. It’s right up my alley- art therapy, dance classes, homeschooling adopted kids, and loving on broken orphans.
What I hope for my future falls under it. My desires, kingdom dreams, hopes, and prayers are all under this umbrella. I still want to be a wife and a mom someday. I want to adopt children. I want to help broken children. I want to go back to Africa, and love on those orphans. It’s interesting to see my hearts deepest desires line up with what God is calling me to. He really does know the desires of my heart.
So, with my life calling figured out, I have many options ahead of me. I think that may be a whole different blog, though! I am so excited to have God directing me and using my life in such a beautiful way. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog!! Now, you know where I am at in life (further than I’ve ever been) and where I am going (further than I could have imagined). Thanks for always praying for me and supporting me.
We had to do a creative presentation of our life calling. I wrote a song. Enjoy.
Freedom & Family from Melanie Heath on Vimeo.
