Isn’t it funny the way we put expectations on God?
I have been planning for The World Race for 5 months. I have prayed, fundraised, shared my journey with anyone who would listen, fundraised again, and then prayed some more. I have dreamt of the places I would see, the food I would eat, the people I would meet, and the ministry I would be doing. In my daydreams I was holding the hands of orphans in the streets of Colombia… I was tasting exotic foods in the markets of Ecuador… I was exploring the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru…
Like most humans, I placed specific expectations on specific situations, preparing myself to be disappointed if anything else were to happen.
Thankfully, God intervenes.
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or imagine, according to the power at work within us.” -Ephesians 3:20
My daydreams were beautiful but the Lord has plans in store that are FAR MORE than all that I can ask or imagine. As I am approaching the end of my first week in San Andrés, Colombia, I have reflected on this very truth that ministry and love and service can come in a plethora of different shapes and sizes even if we cannot (and probably will not) expect them.
One way in which the Lord has far exceeded my expectations of ministry is through a woman named Luz Mila. Luz Mila is a 4’11’’ tall woman who cooks all of our food, cleans up after us and the church we are working with, mops the rain water away so it doesn’t seep into our room, gives us hugs when we need them, listens to our broken spanish and so much more. She is humble, gentle, meek, vulnerable, generous, and kind. She is the Proverbs 31 woman whose calloused hands tell stories of the work she does for Jesus when she wakes up before dawn and goes to bed after dusk. She has worked diligently to learn all our names and to share with us the ways in which she has encountered the embrace of Jesus in her own life.
When we first arrived here, Luz Mila would not speak with us because of her inability to speak English and our inability to speak Spanish, but God has called us to love and minister to her through the awkward language barriers and the giant hand gestures of communication. Through that, we have learned the story of her life. She has 4 sons all around our ages and one of which has had 2 heart surgeries. She likes neapolitan ice cream and makes friends with dogs. She had a husband who has brought her much disappointment yet she has clung to the Lord for comfort. She has a servants heart and would do anything for us. My favorite of all, she loves to hug.
When I arrived, I did not expect my ministry would be to love on this tiny, precious human, but God has broken down my expectations and called me into places that I could never have asked or imagined. Please pray we can break down more walls with Luz Mila, build a deeper relationship with her, serve her, and love her so well!
Yo no vivo yo pero Cristo vive en mi!
Sara
