The count down begins. I leave for my journey to Africa in 20 days. I can hardly believe it. Each day God continues to piece every little detail together regarding the trip. With each passing day, I am reminded of how much God loves me, how God is taking care of me, and how God will use me this summer in Africa. Each donation and with every card of encouragement I am reminded of how God has everything figured out.
As I have been preparing spiritually over the course of the last few months, I continue to grow closer to God daily. A particular verse has struck me dead in my tracks, causing me to pause and share the meaning that the verse has in my life today.
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." - Luke 12:48
A few years ago, I wouldn't have thought much at all about this verse. I would have probably made the conclusion that I really didn't have THAT much, so the verse probably didn't really apply to me. I also probably would have stated that I wasn't entrusted with much of anything either, so much wouldn't have been asked of me either. I would have looked at the worldly possessions that I had, which in my opinion at the time, didn't add up to much. I had a car I drove in high school that my parents graciously bought for me. I had my own furniture that I owned, a laptop, a cell phone, a closet full of clothes. None of what I possessed seemed to be that special or out of the ordinary. Everything was of basic necessity, or so I thought.
But now, after what I have seen, how MOST of the rest of the world lives, God has used this verse to truly speak directly into my life. And if I am being honest, I could almost be brought to tears at the sheer love that I feel when I am reminded of ALL that I have been given AND entrusted with.
Why don't you stop and take a few minutes to ponder over what you have been given? Have you been given much? I know I certainly have. I have been given a beautiful apartment, one that I have had the privilege of decorating and painting exactly how I have wanted. I have been given an amazing, new job over the last year; one that I love and am truly blessed to possess. I have been given new friendships; real and lasting ones; friends that I can call in any time of need, with any trouble. I have been given a new heart; one that is seeking after God and expanding His Kingdom. I have been given two, beautiful, sweet, loving boys, who I have had the blessing of meeting and loving on in the country where they are from. I have been given the opportunity to be a part of 3 different teams,
spreading God's love in Africa and in Nicaragua. I have been given the opportunity to spend the summer in Africa, loving on orphans, children who are forgotten even in their own cultures and countries. What strikes me as the most amazing part of this list of blessings is that all of these gifts came from God and were given because He loves me so much. Did I need to paint my apartment three different colors? No, not at all. Did I have to start sponsoring my two precious boys or take any of the trips I have been on in the last year? Technically, no I didn't have to. It wasn't a life or death decision according to a world view.
As I ponder over all that has been given to me, I can't help but remember the beautiful faces of those less fortunate than myself that I have met in Nicaragua and in Africa. I could have just as easily been born in South Africa, Ethiopia, or Nicaragua. But God chose differently for me. Acts 17:26-27 says, "God determined the times set for men and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." God had a reason for placing me exactly when and where he did, as the daughter of a middle class business owner and kindergarten teacher in West Lafayette, Indiana. It might seem pretty random, but it wasn't.
I realize that God was the one that gave me everything, and I take great pride and joy in knowing that He entrusted me with everything that I own. He trusts me to bless me enough with Obed and Moises. He trusts me with opportunity after opportunity to be His Hands and Feet in Africa and Nicaragua. He has trusted me enough to send me to Africa for two months this summer. He trusts me enough to provide a job that I love, that gives me the opportunity to serve Him in other countries. The more and more I trust Him, the more and more He blesses me. God also prepared particular good works for me. God has been planning and preparing in advance, giving me exactly what I needed to find him and do the good works He has planned for me.
You and I could choose to shut out the troubles of this world, stay quietly at home, and enjoy a comfortable, pleasant life here in the United States, ignoring the staggering numbers of deaths from starvation, AIDS, and other preventable diseases that steal the lives of so many each and every day. Or, we could use our positions as children of God, to speak up for the oppressed, risk comforts and devote time into investing in those who need the Light of Jesus brought to them.
Could it be that God has placed me or you in a position of comfort and material power for such a as time as today? I'm definitely not a savior of the world, but God is always on the move, ready to raise up relief and deliverance, PEOPLE who will go for Him, who will be His hands and feet. I believe I am a part of THAT Plan. My piece of that plan may seem small, as if it doesn't matter, but I'm just one part of the body of Christ. God IS on the move to change the world one person at a time. Obed and Moises are two small boys that have had their world changed forever. If Obed had living parents, the difference I have made for him would matter to his mother and father. It matters to both boys.
I am convinced that God is asking me to dance with Him, and we are finally in fact dancing together, at the same pace. I have been asked much, but He also is giving me much in return. And we surely are dancing the most beautiful dance I have ever been a part of. The craziest part about this dance is that God is really only asking one thing of me. I wish I could say the same about my daily requests I offer to God. Believe me, I don't just ask for one thing. I ask much of Him, and He only asks one thing from me; LOVE. He asks that I love Him with all my heart, all my mind, and all my soul. He also asks me to love those who are hard to love; those who are easy to love; those who are forgotten, those who are alone. He asks me to love every single person in this world,
Those opportunities haven't just been presented to me in Africa or Nicaragua. He has given me many here in Indiana, in my every day life. Friends, I urge you to take a look at the beautiful life God has given you. If you are reading this blog post, you are not physically hurting for anything. You have been given much, and much is being asked of you; much in the form of loving God and loving others.Take heart, for God loves you and trusts you. You have been hand chosen by Him. You are special and loved more than you will ever know or be able to comprehend. You have so much to offer, so much love to be shared with others.
Start dancing with God today. Some of you may say that you can't dance and you have no idea how. Let God lead. He will show you. All you have to do is follow His perfect, planned, precise, steps. Everybody surely can dance! :)
Love you all.
Meg
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