This Side of Africa

In 3 years the Lord has transformed me. All anyone has to do to believe in the power of God in a person's life is look at me. I sought after God and He showed himself to me, I gave my life to Christ, I submitted to His will and His plan for my life, forgoing my own personal wants and desires. He showed me a purposeful life that was much bigger than one I could have ever dreamt up on my own. He is very clearly cleansing me and changing me and refining me and has lead me down a narrow path that has brought me to this very day. I am preparing to leave my husband and young daughters to board a plane to fly to South Africa to work with AIDS orphans. I weep as I write this. I am overwhelmed with joy and awe at the God that has spent so much time on me, being so faithful to equip me and provide for me and prepare me for this divine appointment. This is not a vacation. This is a God assignment. Since I gave my life to Christ I have prayed unceasingly to be used by Him to help save the world and make a lasting impression in whatever place He wanted to use me. And of course, He has been so faithful to His word. I am being used by God, the creator of the universe to reach out to suffering orphans in South Africa, who by no fault of their own, are victims to the tragic AIDS pandemic. This is how God is at work to restore the world. He uses his faithful believers and followers to be His presence and action to a hurting people that need to experience his love and grace. Why me, there in South Africa? Why that cause? I don't know, I don't question. I just thank God for answering my prayers, for trusting me, for using me, for making my life purposeful. I am an example to my young daughters that when you surrender to the God that created you and He will raise you up to do great things in this world. That is the eternal legacy that my God is helping me to leave in this world and in my children. Am I afraid, nervous, fearful? A little. This is way out of my comfort zone. But that is how our God shows off. He will protect and provide and demonstrate how marvelous He is, as to draw others near to Him. And all I need to worry about is that I am right in the middle of the love of the Lord and that this is where He wants me. Where else in the world would I ever want to be? Today, as His creature, I am being used by THE Creator in South Africa.
"Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!" Joshua 1:9