This month I finally took my camera (which was in need of some major TLC due to its lack of use) out of my pack, turned it on, and used it for what it was created for—capturing the beauty of this brilliant world.
I wanted to experience God in a new light by capturing the beauty of His creation.
With each image taken, He taught me valuable lessons that could only be learned by observing and admiring the very works of His hands.
And so here we are.
Lessons that can only be learned by observing the creation of our Mighty God:
Trust.
Meet Grandpa
The joy of the Lord is his strength.
We call him the Billy Graham of the Philippines.
Grandpa is 87 and is on fire for our wonderful Lord. He attended MIT Philippines, received a degree in Civil Engineering, moved to Valenzuela and began the first private Christian school in the area—so much for that engineering degree, right?
Grandpa has devoted his life to serving the Lord, even if that meant selling all that he had, relocating to the unknown, and to starting a school.
All because Jesus told him to.
His school has grown from 2 to over 2000 students(at the school’s peak) who have now received a quality education that is impossible to find within the city of Manila.
It’s amazing what the Lord can do when we simply answer his call and trust in His promises, timing, and plans.
Joy.
The joy within the walls of VCS is absolutely contagious.
Every day, our students are eager to greet us with their bright smiles, radiant laughter, and silly jokes. As I walk onto campus, I am greeted by the chanting of my name and countless hugs. Their love for us is unconditional and ever present. I have learned that quite a bit of wisdom can be gained from simply allowing yourself to be present with God’s beautiful children—of all nations.
Joy is spread throughout the school with each footstep of taken on this bright campus.
Community.
My squad mates and I were given the task of cleaning out an old library and reconstructing a new one for the upcoming school year. This was a long, tiring, and dirty experience. By choosing joy, we were able to become unified, joke about the most ridiculous of books, laugh over the messes we made, break down walls with one another, and experience the gifts of a messy/beautiful community.
It’s amazing what vulnerability, transparency, and laughter can do to a group of people.
Freedom.
The school we have been serving alongside allows the students to experience freedom. Upon walking through the doors of the school the students are safe. They are able to find freedom—freedom from comparison, poverty, abuse, broken homes, and worldly pressures.
More importantly, freedom in Christ.
Childlike Faith.
If I am being completely real right now, having a childlike faith has been my biggest struggle within my faith.
When my parents were expecting me, they were unsure if I would be a boy or girl. So like any normal parents, they had names chosen for both a boy and girl. If I were a girl—the obvious—Sarah Anne, and if I were a boy—Thomas.
Remember him? Good ole doubting Thomas.
Oh the irony. My walk with Christ has consisted of constantly questing God about his will, injustices around me, his timing—questions. questions. questions. Questions that ultimately distracted me from seeing the bigger picture of who He is.
I have set my questions aside, and chosen to just trust in and believe who He is, as difficult as it may be at times, with a childlike faith.
Patience.
When I was 21, God captured my heart for adoption. My desires to have biological children vanished, and my heart longed for the moment that I would be able to bring one of His beautiful children back into my home, hold them safely in my arms, and call this child my own–just as Christ had done for me.
We were able to visit two orphanages during out time in the Philippines where God reconfirmed my desire and simply told me to be patient.
His timing is perfect.
Adventure.
Meet Joseph.
Though he spoke very little English, I fell in love with his sense of adventure and longing to explore his native land. I had the privilege of spending the day with this free spirit and learned the importance of the very thing Joseph adored–God’s adventure-filled creation.
A Thankful Heart.
I never realized what the gift freedom entailed until I stepped outside of my quaint, pinterest-inspired, safe bubble–whether that was the literal sense of freedom that I experience from running safely in my quiet neighborhood, worshipping the God I adore embracing no fear within my heart, or the spiritual sense of freedom in Christ that the Lord has given to each of us.
I don’t think I will ever be able to fully grasp the intensity of the freedom I have.
The race has made me more than thankful for these small realizations.
I am thankful to be thankful.
Beauty.
Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it is so easy to get caught up in worldly beauty.
Look up.
God’s face is everywhere, staring directly into your eyes, ready to capture your heart—even in the smallest of places.
He’s all around, y’all.
