Blessings

In early August of 2009 I sat on a park bench overlooking the lake in Spring Lake with my bestfriend Laura. I had a yearning in my heart. I told her that I wanted the both of us to do something real with our last year at WIU. I said I wanted to make our apartment a safe haven for women and I wanted to make a difference in their lives. This seemed impossible, because we didn’t really have any resources …or girls. I can’t describe the passion I felt for this to really happen. All we could do was ask God. We prayed “God bring us women”. Little did I know God would take that prayer and multiply it with blessings beyond my imagination.
My senior year was the best year of my college career. God placed ten beautiful women in my life, ten women who changed my life forever. Our apartment did become a safe haven, a place of love, trust, growth, and fun. The memories we made were all thanks to my King. It was incredible what God did. I couldn’t have pulled this off on my own.
My senior year was a rough year trying to figure out ‘the next step’. My future seemed daunting. I was daily overwhelmed with fear and doubt. All my previous plans had fallen through. But I didn’t realize the whole time I was with these girls, God was spelling out my future. I soon realized my heart’s desire wasn’t to go to class so I could get good grades, graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in zoology, and land a well paying job in my field. Rather it was helping these girls. Thoughts of them crossed my mind all day. Praying for them, meeting with them, laughing with them, learning with them, growing with them. It’s what I lived for. I loved being with them.
I watched them grow. I saw incredible healing and growth take place. I saw them surrender more and more of their lives to Christ. I saw them develop strength. I saw them become more secure and fall in love with our savior. What I saw brings tears to my eyes today. You see those kinds of things are what is truly important in life. Those kinds of things are what I want to live for.
Before I met these girls, I read in my bible that God can bring joy like no other. I didn’t believe it. I prayed “Show me that kind of joy God”. He showed me through these girls. Being a part of what God did in their lives my senior year was a new kind of joy I had never experienced, God’s joy. I would never take back that time. I used to think that having a husband only brought the best kind of joy. I can tell you not even the best man could have replaced the feeling I felt in my heart. It was all God.
These girls have inspired me. What they don’t know is, helping them grow helped me grow. When God let me be a part of their lives, he showed me my ‘next step’. My heart’s desire is to help women live better lives. It wasn’t just a hobby to meet new friends in college. It was something real and powerful. Something much better than a bachelor’s degree in zoology. Everyone thinks I am crazy. Why would I throw away an opportunity to make money, when I will starve to death in ministry. And maybe I am crazy for throwing away a great opportunity. But I know that if I don’t take the opportunity God has given me I will deeply regret it. I want to live for the joy that God brought me through these girls. I want to live for my King. When I die and stand before Him, I want to hear “Well done good and faithful servant”.
Girls, Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives. You are forever in my heart. Know I think about you often. You were the agent that God used to change my life and decide my future. You are so important to me. The memories we made, the fears we overcame. Thank you for trusting me and pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ. I only hope that you will impact people’s lives the way you have mine. Just be willing. Remember the best kind of joy comes from God.
Laura, thank you for joining me on this crazy journey. Thank you for your encouragement, your patience, your words of wisdom. Thank you for being all in from the start. Thank you for sacrificing your time, energy, and sleep. You are so important to me.
God, Thank you for entrusting me with these girl’s lives. I know it was a big responsibility. Thank you for being with me every step of the way. Thank you for giving me the words to say, when I couldn’t say the words myself. Thank you for placing Laura by my side. Thank you for the laughs, the memories, and the testimonies. What you did was incredible. And I will forever remember how these girls impacted my life. A heart’s desire came true when I placed it in your hands. I will forever live for you. I love you.