Faith of a Child

I had a reality check this afternoon as I read my mail. Kyle and I have been supporting 2 boys through Compassion International since we were in college. The one that I began supporting on my own is now in 5th grade (he was 4 when I started my support). His name is Heisner and he lives in a small village in Guatemala. When he was little he loved cars and the stickers that I would include with my letters. As he grew, so did his love for soccer. I remember he once wrote and asked that I pray for him because some boys were making fun of him.
The letter I received today included thanks for his Christmas gift which purchased a pair of pants, a shirt for school, and a toy car. But it wasn't his thank you that put me in my place. It was another prayer request.

"I ask that you please pray for my family, for my mother who in a few says will be operated on her stomach." (direct translation from Spanish)

This family has nothing of physical value. They have limited food and clothing (much of it provided through support from organizations like Compassion International). With my own mom looking at potential surgery I can imagine the stress that comes along with a family member not feeling well and needing something as serious as surgery to make it better. I have to remind myself, with facing my own mom's procedure, that God is in control; that he has everything in the palm of his hand. And that is in the United States where I don't have to be concerned about the cleanliness of the hospital that may lead to further infection or trying to figure out how it is going to be paid for, facing the realities of choosing between food or medical care.
We worry about everything when, in reality, we have nothing to worry about. In the United States we focus on every little thing that could possibly go wrong. For this little boy, living in a third world country, receiving support to meet his daily needs, he writes to me and asks for prayer. How incredibly humbling. I am reminded again and again of simple faith. Pure and true and the way that God always intended it to be.

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and..." NIV - Online Bible Study

Matthew 6:25-30 (NIV)

Audience of One

I remember beginning to think about what I wanted to be when I was in middle school. At the time I was really good at science and had found an organization where I could sponsor a gray wolf. You know the programs where they have people sponsor and animal (I've seen them for whales and certain endangered species). Essentially the organziations use the money raised to keep research prjects alive and to help keep these animals alive and healthy. This whole sponsorship thing that I was a part of made me want to work for them--a wolf biologist, working with this same pack in the Sawtooth Mountains just outside of Boise, Idaho. Makes me cold just thinking about it.
While I still consider wolves to be my favorite animals, I discovered pretty quickly that, while I was decent in biology, I did not have the gifiting to make that my field of study. I preferred words to formulas. I discovered that I had been given a distinct personality for a reason. Even as a child, I was always outspoken. This led to some rather intense arguments between me and my mom but it also led to me being very passionate about what I believe.
When I was younger and wanted to be a biologist, I had specific dreams of being out in the wild doing research on a particular wolf pack. As I grew older (and transitioned through about a dozen other job scenarios), my focus became more person--be a voice for those who can't (or won't) speak for themselves. While I still stand very close to that, it has shifted a little more...be a ready ear for those who need it and a sound voice of guidance.
You see, God is continuing to work on my heart but ultimately, as long as I am seeking His approval, I will find that I am successful in the end. Galatians 1:10 reads,

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."

It's good to want to meet your own expectations. It is good to want your parent's approval. It is good to appease your suppervisor or teacher and it is good to want to be successful. What is not good is putting those approvals above the approval of God. We need to focus our dreams on God and what will happen is amazing. Our dreams will begin to come true! When our focus is God and our desire is to serve Him, we will succeed. When our dreams are given to us by God, we will achieve them to greater levels than we could even imagine on our own. When we perform for an audience of One, we will always receive a standing ovation and a job well done.

Revolve

This weekend, through a series of events, I was able to go with 7 of our high school girls to a conference called The Revolve Tour. For anyone familiar with Women of Faith, it is from the same organization, just created especially for the quirkiness and wonderfulness that is a teenage girl.
Everything that this conference is doing is my heart's desire. I love seeing girls being themselves. To forget, even if just for a couple days, about the judgments that are passed by others. To praise God with all of their hearts and to see Him in a new light.
I praise God for each of the 4,000 teenagers that took part in the conference in Lakeland, FL. I am thankful for all of the leaders who brought those girls. I pray that, because of a weekend of dreaming, lives will be changed.
I have so much more on my heart but, amazingly, I am at a loss for words. So I will close (as it is already much too late for me to be up) with an encouragement. To any girls reading this--you are beautifully and wonderfully made. God loves you for who you are, not who other people tell you that you need to be. Learn to love you and your life will be brighter and happier and more amazing than you could begin to comprehend.
To any parents/adults--tell your daughters and the young ladies in your life how special they are. Let them know that you care, even when you feel the gray hairs pushing through. Let them hear you say that you love them, that you think they are amazing. I know that teenagers (girls especially) have a tendency to pretend to not care...it's a front. They want to know that you will always be there, even when they are at their very worst (and I am sure some of you parents think you've already experienced that first hand) :) Love them for who they are...Princesses to the God of the Universe!