So, It's been a LONG LONG time since I actually sat down and wrote a blog. I am a little upset with myself that I have not done so, but I believe that the LORD has been teaching me something over these past 6 months or so that others could potentially benefit from....so here goes.
I've been BUSY working at the Georgia Southern Wesley Foundation since August 2010. By the way, I still can't believe that it's been 2 years and 1 month since I graduated from college (my how the time does FLY BY these days). Working at Wesley has been one of the hardest and most rewarding experiences of my life. I have learned so much from just being willing to take a leap of faith and follow where I felt the LORD leading me. It has not been as easy road to travel...ministry and missions is HARD, but it has helped me to mature and learn in some incredible ways. One of the greatest and worst things about this job has been the flexibility that it offers in terms of a schedule. I've had to learn how to use the time I've been given effectively. I've also learned what's important and what's not so important. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I have grown so much over these past 2 years and especially these past 6 months.
I have been seeking the LORD about my purpose and vision over these past few months because I have realized that I need so kind of personal mission statement so that my life has some kind of purpose and direction. I have a bunch of puzzle pieces, I'm just not 100% sure how they all fit together (and I may never fully understand), but I have been asking the LORD to give me some sort of purpose and direction and I have come to a point where I am being to see the type of people group that I am called to love on for the sake of The Kingdom.
As I look back I can see how the LORD was leading me in this direction for a number of years even before I was truly devoted and sold out to Him. I can see it as far back as middle school (although there may be more before that point, but I'm going to start here where I can clearly see signs that this is the direction the LORD is calling me to). In middle school, I was not the "cool kid" I was just a normal girl who the "popular" kids just made fun of. This left scar that has taken years to heal, but God is good and I'm walking in some pretty amazing healing (even here recently). But going back to my story, there were a few times when I overheard some of the "popular" kids picking on some of the less popular kids (this included a young girl who was in the special education classes). That young lady was so friendly to me, I am blessed that I was able to spend some time with her. One day I had enough and confronted one of the girls who was talking about another classmate behind her back. What happened next was incredible, the girl backed off and not only stopped talking about this girl behind her back, but she also started being super nice to me. (Side Note: I have NO DOUBT that the LORD was on my side in the midst of all of that, so I don't recommend just confronting someone for the sake of it because I could have been in danger, but the LORD had placed a conviction of my heart so I had to act upon it.) The next time I can vividly see the LORD leading me was when it came time for me to choose a college major (I'm sure that there were other moments in this great time period that I've left out, but for the sake of time and honestly bad memory we are going to skip ahead). Now, when I got to college I could not make up my mind what I wanted to major in (let alone what I wanted to do for the rest of my life). My dad had told me to choose something that I would enjoy so that wouldn't HATE going to work day in and day out. After a few months pasted I was at some "event" for my orientation class (which was a joke, except for making me go to this event). I was sitting there listening to professors come up and talk to the group about any number of different majors that the University. I was honestly only halfway paying attention. Then all of the sudden a professor began to talk to use about Recreation and the different emphasis areas within the major. After some prayer and research, I became a Therapeutic Recreation major. The crazy part about it was the fact the prior to knowing about therapeutic recreation I had been doing volunteer work with the therapeutic horseback riding program through the Bulloch County Parks and Recreation Department. So, the journey of a thousand (or more) miles began.
The lessons that I learned from my classes and from working with the therapeutic riding program were priceless in my development as a person both personally and professionally. And it was one of the hardest things that I have EVER had to do. When it came time for me to do my internship I moved to Augusta for 3 months to work at a Veteran's Hospital. Upon completion of this internship I moved back home and began working as a missionary staff person with the GSU Wesley Foundation. My eyes have been opened to the beautifully intense aspects of life in ministry. I have learned how to depend on God in the midst of all kinds of trials. The LORD has been showing me what it truly means to love the way that He loves. Jesus spent His time with the lost, broken, forgotten, and rejected of society. He showed love to those who thought they were unloveable. I began to ask what it would look like for me to do the same. The LORD is still in the process of fleshing this out for me, but I am excited about the adventure that awaits and I am not going to just sit still until I have all the answers, I am going to go out and love on people even while I'm still learning what that means. The LORD has given me a heart for the broken, lost, forgotten, abused, rejected, unwanted members of society (the world), and I am going to GO and love them in the name of Jesus. I know that not all of them are going to accept me, but that's not going to stop me.
I am giving my life for the sake of The Gospel and The Kingdom of God. This summer the LORD has me in a bootcamp of sorts where He has me preparing for the work that is to come. I am EXCITED for the adventure that is just around the corner.
Thanks for taking the time to read this Blog and I am going to try and blog more! I want to leave you with these lyrics from Casting Crowns:
"Nobody knows what you're for only what you're against when you judge the wounded...open (your) eyes to the world at the end of (your) pointing finger"
