It is pretty impossible to summarize what all this year has meant to me and how the Lord used it to completely transform my life as well as bring His hope to dark places. Below I summarized some of the main points that really impacted me and my journey this year.
From strangers to family, He gave me a community to empower, exhort and encourage me. People who would not let me remain as I was, but pushed me towards holiness and likeness of Jesus. From discomfort to deep friendships, these are people who will always know a special side of me. I wouldn’t be who I am now without you.
Ministry that wrecks. Wrecks my heart, my perspectives, my capacities and my desires in the best possible way. Every place offered me new insight whether that was in my skills, culture, exposure to various things or what my heart was capable of feeling. I will forever cherish all the ways the Lord allowed me to be apart of bringing Kingdom culture through these organizations and genuine people.
Cultures and people that embraced me and desired to teach. As a group, we all received a lot of grace as we adjusted and did our best to adapt to new places and customs. We weren’t perfect, but people were gracious and handled us with love and care. Everywhere we went, people were eager to have us experience their culture and invited us into their space.
The breathing Word of God that was my sword in desperate times. Though I lacked affection and desire to dive in initially, the Word was revealed to me anew and understanding was granted. Different passages were applicable for different seasons, but in all things, the Word of God was the anchor that held me steady through disrupted oceans.
A platform to express creativity and share my story. All the times I was encouraged to give an account, share what the Lord has been revealing to me or even just speak to my testimony were times that grew my confidence in my eternal identity. To have the freedom to speak not only through blogs, but also in person to the nations on account of who God is and how I’ve encountered Him is what affirmed a lot for me internally. These are the moments the Holy Spirit moved through my words and I felt the Lord’s presence bring peace. It was these moments that taught me not to trust in my own strength, but that He was a worthy steward of my talents and His glory was worth my efforts.
