Lunch

Today I had the blessing of having lunch with some people who God placed in my life at the right time in the past, and well, two years later, here we were again.
It was incredible to see them for the first time in two years. So much has changed. Today I was reminded of who I was just a few years ago.

Through these people I learned how to live again after the worst year of my life, involving family losses and my mom's cancer battle. I learned how to love others more than ever before. I learned how to accept grace, and perhaps the more important lesson, how to GIVE grace. Father allowed this couple to not only pour into me, but to love me for ME. I felt like for the first time I truly was treated as a typical human and not just by a title or stereotype. There were no high standards for me to follow, no insane expectations for me to aim for.These people helped me learn how to love the church. Not the building, but the PEOPLE of the church. And what a great one I have.

God used these people to just spark a fire in my heart that would open my eyes to things unseen to that sixteen year old self. I was challenged to serve. And well, I found out about a little trip to Germany. God said to go. When others thought it was crazy, they encouraged me. And, well, the rest is history.

I am so grateful that today I was reminded of my purpose. Isn't it amazing how I didn't even realize I had a purpose until they came into my life? And yet, two years later I sat eating Chinese food (with chopsticks-something I never thought I'd be able to do.) God's timing is Incredible my friends.

My purpose is not to seek my own comfort, credit, easiness, or dreams. But to depend on HIM for HIS comfort in the trials, to give HIM all the credit, and to chase HIS dreams for MY life.

This life is not my own. It is His. I've been working on a scrapbook lately as a result of having SO MUCH STUFF from Tokyo and hundreds of pictures. And I've been thinking about how I miss the random coffee runs, the karaoke times, crazy shopping trips, and even climbing that stupid thing called Mt Fuji. But today I talked about the WORK God is doing in Japan. And all parts of the world. We shared stories of what He is doing. And I was reminded what my heart beats for.

Above all, it beats for Him.

Thank you Father for a beautiful day.