Peace

I'm sitting in a quiet room in a comfortable chair. The fire is softly crackling in the fireplace as I sip a cup of ginger spice tea. I am getting the hang of my new work schedule and this is the end of the work week for me. I almost feel as though I am breathing in God's goodness.

I invited the Bishop to come talk to my youth last night at youth group. It was the last opportunity because he is leaving Indiana to head back to Kenya on Tuesday. I will miss the coffee and conversation we have shared in the last two months. I'll really miss not having him around to call when I need prayer or godly advise. Email from across the world is just not the same.

Last night after I did my thing, I showed a short slideshow with some of our Kenya pictures. Then I turned it over to the Bishop who talked to the youth about growing up in a hut in the bush of Kenya, and not wearing shoes til age 17. Some of the kids really connected with his stories.

The fire is dying down now, and my tea is not so hot and just about gone. That is the way life goes, but I just want nothing more than continue to walk rightly and for the blessings to continue.

As I consider where God has taken me and where I am right now, I have been blessed beyond my imagination, for the second time in my life. And in the beginning, I was so unsure that this was where God wanted me. But the voice of my dear friend kept ringing in my memory. "Be the change that you want to see," has made all the difference. I have a greater purpose now. A personal ministry to spread the word about the needs of the orphans in this world. I have a found my calling and a very satisfying ministry with a paycheck. These things I prayed for but was told they may not ever happen for me. And now, I cannot think of a way that this new season could be better, though perhaps God will surprise me again.

I struggled and I suffered for years. Life was tough, but God has grown and stretched me in ways that I am only beginning to realize. It has made all the difference. I believe my God can do the things he says he can. I believe life can be hard, but God is still there. I have peace.