The Journey

God has taken me on a journey over the past couple years - which amazingly took me to other parts of the world and to levels of faith and evaluation of life I had not been before.
The other parts of the world, well the biggest was Ethiopia where this picture is from, and this is Nardos a little girl who touched my heart. It has been amazing to travel with teens and be a part of the lives of kids especially that need love - to just be played with, hugged, smiled at, given gifts to, and most of all just spend time with. Through this God took me from the most comfortable place at home in a church I loved, through one of the hardest years of my life and through trusting in Him - to another church that I love. It's been here that a journey that started in my heart long ago has started to move again.
I'm a selfish person - I realize that - I thank God for his patience with me as I try to give me to Him and others. I've been challenged more lately though on a different end of the compassion spectrum. I've experienced amazing things travelling the world caring for kids, caring for kids that come to our home as foster kids but its some of the little things in life that God has been pulling at. I'll share a story with you to help illustrate before I rabble on and confuse you.

Just before Christmas we were on our way back to Cambridge when we stopped in Woodstock for gas (cause Cambridge is the most expensive place ever for gas for some reason!) There were 4 spots all taken and I was next in line finally. A guy pulls out slowly so I try to be patient and wait till he completely pulls away. When the lady behind me pulls around me and towards that spot. I think "No way she must be pulling up to buy something", so I pull around the other way to pull in there ... Nope she pulls in so I pull up beside her and give her the horn! She deserved it right. I felt like getting out and asking her what made her more important than everyone else in the world, but I used some self control - like I said God has me on a journey. I pull in to the next open one and the guy beside me who saw it just smiles and shakes his head.

See my understanding before was, well she deserved it so I better give it to her so she can learn - and in some certain circumstances I'm sure that is true - but I wish and God keeps impressing this on my heart - that I would have just let it be. Who knows what God may have had in store, who knows why this lady pulled in there.

I wonder at times where my selfishness even in areas like this that don't seem like it at first glance - continue to get in the way of my testimony, to God's plan for me and those around me.

The journey started with doing fun always rewarding times of working with kids - and takes me to the place where I really need to do some work, check myself at the door and let God rule in all my life.