Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Currently, four of my closest friends are in Romania. They are serving at numerous orphanages for about 10 days. I CANNOT WAIT to hear all about their adventures and what God did while they were there.

However, if I'm being honest, I have had my struggles in praying for this trip. When Jenny first talked about going back to Romania this Christmas and bringing friends this time, I REALLY wanted to go. I mean REALLY wanted to go. What could be more amazing than a girls first mission trip with close friends flying many hours overseas to serve ORPHANS for 10 days. I mean come on..doesn't that sound pretty awesome?? For various reasons I was unable to go to Romania. My roommate Natalie gave me this verse (Ecclesiastes 3:11) when I told her I was not going. So I have been holding onto this verse as I prayed for and watched two of my roommates, and two of my other closest friends prepare for this trip.

I know that I am clearly supposed to be here this break otherwise I would be in Romania right now. But I have been struggling with the idea that I am completely useless in helping orphans, if all I do is live my normal life here in Ames. I have become very frustrated with my lack of ability to do anything for the 40 million orphans in this world. I want to help them and do something productive with my life, so why won't God let me do something like go overseas?? Many people have no idea about the orphan crisis or know but don't do anything about it. But God has given me a deep love and compassion for them, so why, if I am willing to go and do something, am I not able to? Am I too weak? Am I too selfish? Do I not care enough? Am I not good enough?

And then I come back to Ecclesiastes 3:11. Could it be that it is not my time to go yet? Could it be that God has a different plan for me during this break? Could He want to teach me something else this break? I have come to the conclusion that the answer to these questions is yes. Instead of going to Romania, I have been able to fervently pray for my friends. I have also been able to spend lots of time with my dad, mom, brother, sister-in-law, and niece.

My brother, Kaylee Jo and I

This is my little 8 week old niece Kaylee Jo.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

As I was rocking this precious sleeping baby and touching her soft little hands, deep in my heart I realized how precious every single person on this earth is. God, the one who created the universe, has created us with His very hands. Not only did He create us, but He sent His son to earth to die a gruesome death, so that we could live eternally with Him. I now have a new perspective on helping others. Honestly, I do not always see the beauty in people or have the desire to help someone struggling, but I now pray that God would reveal to me the beauty that He sees. I know that when I care for someone, I am helping someone who was specifically created by God to fulfill a purpose. What could be more fulfilling than knowing you are being God's hand and feet?

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

So instead of caring for many orphans personally, I have been able to pray for my friends who are, read a wonderful book (see previous post), and spent quality time with my family. I have also held my baby niece, kissed her beautiful face and tiny fingers, and prayed that these tiny, perfect hands would someday complete the amazing works that God has prepared in advance for her to do. All in all, I know that so far I have done what God has set in place for me to do. It is not what I first desired, but I have decided to embrace God's timing and trust that He knows what He is doing.

Amy Carmichael

Over the first week of break I have begun to read A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael By Elisabeth Elliot. Some asked Amy what it was like to be a missionary and her response was "It is a chance to die." "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever want to seave his life will lose it, whoever loses his life for me will save it. What is good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet forfeit his very self?" Luke 9:23-25

Amy Carmichael grew up in Ireland in the late 1800s. She was the oldest of about 7 kids and her father died when she was in her teens. She started many programs to help the youth in her hometown. Amy truly understood what it means to love the "least of these." She began seeking out the children working in factories and she eventually brought so many of them to church with her that other members of the congregation got upset at the room they were taking up. So Amy started her own church, where everyone was welcome. I have only just gotten to the part where she actually leaves her home to become a missionary. Amy Carmichael later became known for saving children who were brought to Hindu temples, to be sold into prostitution. Throughout the 7 chapters I have read thus far, I have found many awesome scripture and quotes in this amazing book.

"The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knowth them that trust in Him"
-Nahum 1:7

"To obey is better than sacrifice" -1 Samuel 15:22

"If any say unto, why do ye this? say ye that the LORD hath need of him." -Mark 11:3

"My own peace, such as the world cannot give. Set your troubled hearts at rest, and banish your fears." -John 14:27

"Think truly, and thy thoughts shall be spotless with God's own purity.
On every thought-bud let us bear the stamp of truth, and love and prayer"

"Should we not see that our root is right, before expecting flowers and fruit?"

"To displace self from the inner thorn and to enthrone Him; to make not the slightest compromise with the smallest sin. We aim at nothing less than to walk with God all day long, to abide every hour in Christ and He and His word in us, to love God with all the heart and our neighbor as ourselves."

"It is possible by unreserved resort to divine power under divine conditions to become strongest through and through at our weakest point."

"Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them."

Home

I have recently been examining the meaning a home can have. I was hanging out with Jen, who is preparing a home for 3 children (previously orphans) and she said something that I will never forget. She was buying things to send for the little girls and she said "I don't know if they will bring these back HOME with them." That comment got me thinking. These children have never been to America and much less seen their cute little room. Yet they have room and a dad and mom and a brother waiting for them with open arms. It has been fight, but Jen and Jason are waiting with outstretched arms for these 3 little children.

I think it is because adoption is the Gospel that this draws a clear picture of Heaven for me.
We have a home, a room in Heaven and a Father waiting with arms wide open. He has fought hard for us, but He loves us with a love we will never understand.

"²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."
Philippians 3:20-21

His Hands and Feet

A friend posted this on her facebook. It is a powerful 8 minute message about loving God's people.

I think what really got to me was the fact that I do go to bed at night knowing I will wake up in the morning, eat breakfast, go to class or work, talk to my friends and roommates and probably my mom. The boy Eric Ludy talks about in this message is a 4 year old sitting on the road with NO ONE to love him or provide food for him. This little boy does not know where he will be in the morning much less a few hours.

Eric poses a really good question. What can we do? Our God is a father to the fatherless through US! WE are God's hand and feet. Truthfully I am a bit shaky at grasping this point, but I'm slowly learning what that means and requires of me. I work with intellectually challenged people. This is not always easy. It can be very difficult sometimes. But the joy that comes when they smile at you or hold your hand or when they start doing a kick line with you after watching the Rockettes is irreplaceable! Being God's hand to the least of these can be exhausting and yet the most fulfilling we can ever experience.

I don't know what it's like to have a child like Eric talks about and I have never been to an orphanage or even overseas, but I am giving God my heart to do as He pleases. I can tell you that if you give it to Him, nothing will be the same. I want to go to bed every night praying for His children that don't have the abundant blessings He has generously poured out over my life . I don't know what He has in store for me, but I pray that I will be able to be His hands and feet the least of these.