Every moment of the day, I have an opportunity to make a choice. I make a choice to get out of bed earlier than I would like. I make a choice to crack open my Bible morning after morning and to cry out to the Lord for strength and courage. I make a choice to be thankful for exactly where I am in that moment... No more, no less. I make a choice to lace up my Nikes (again) and run and run until I feel like my lungs may burst. I make a choice to put in my Jillian Michaels Yoga DVD so that I can make sure I am strengthening my surgery-worn knees. I make a choice to to pack up my backpack for the 9 hour day of serving ahead of me.
The moment I step out onto the muddy dirt roads, thousands of big brown eyes spot me. Everyone is hungry. Everyone is thirsty. Everyone needs school fees paid for. Everyone needs money. Everyone needs love. Everyone needs a hand to hold. Everyone needs a job. Everyone needs all these things from me. I long to grow more hands so I can hold just one more small brown hand. I long to fill up my gas tank so I have enough energy to play one more soccer game. I long to be a millionaire so that I can make sure each and every kind soul has a place to rest their head that night, a meal to fill their empty tummies, a soccer ball to fill their free time, I long to have enough strength to take one more step and to serve one more person. Most days, my heart feels like it just may burst. Most days my 45 minute walk home seems simply impossible. I cannot fathom taking another step. I long to be invisible in these moments and I long for the ability to teleport. After realizing just how unattainable these two options are, God and I have a pep talk and He puts one foot in front of the other. We talk and laugh at how human I am and before I know it, He has delivered me to my front door. I thank Him endlessly for His faithfulness to His children and for looking after me time and again. He quietly whispers the promise of 2 Corinthians 4:8 to me - "Brittany, you are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Rest in me my child". It is in that moment that I experience an unreal sense of peace and rest. I know that I am EXACTLY where the Lord needs me. My questions and doubts simply fade away and once again, through His Sovereignty, I am made new. Praise the Lord for making us fully human so that He can be fully God :)
This week has been full of breakthrough, wisdom, affirmation and guidance. God has hand picked the EXACT people He needs me to meet. Things are moving very quickly and Rays of Grace has a lot of needs. As I mentioned last week, God has blessed me with the opportunity to hire on 3-4 Rwandans. Again, we want every part of this process to be benefitting this country and these people. These are well-educated, bright and trustworthy individuals. They have a deep desire to see their neighbors, friends and family break free from the chains of poverty. I also had the opportunity to meet a handful of women who are widowed and/or suffering from AIDS. With the proper funding and office space, we are hoping to create a place for them to come to work each day which will in turn allow them to start receiving an income so that they can provide for their families. That being said, Rays of Grace is needing to purchase a piece of land where we can start to develop a compound that caters to after school programs including a soccer field, a volleyball court, a basketball court, classrooms for tutoring, hygiene courses, manners classes, English classes and enough space for women to come and work on making their crafts. We are wanting to get children off the streets and into school and Rays of Grace's programs. These children are needing an outlet and a focus for their precious little lives. They need to know their sense of worth. They need to know they are loved. They need to know that they are children of an Almighty God and that they are not forgotten. Sometimes the thought of the work ahead of me makes me want to sleep for a week :) but in those moments, again, I am absolutely renewed by the strength of the Lord. Such a gift!
Old Friends, New Friends, Nail Painting, Endless Smiles
I am feeling your prayers and love every single day, THANK YOU! God is good all the time, no matter what. Hold tight to such a beautiful promise :)
I LOVE YOU GUYS!
britt :)
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