Common Threads...

It's amazing to me how God works in our lives and prepares us for the plans He has for us. Many memories have been coming to my mind in recent weeks and months as I prepare for this next step in my life.... ways He's uniquely created me and prepared me and common threads He's woven throughout my life to bring me to this point.

I remember one day in college, 10+ years ago, pulling over my car on the side of the road as I had an intense urge and pull on my spirit.... not even sure what the urge was about at the time but knowing it was so strong that I had to listen to it.... and as I sat in my car, the words came out of me: "OKAY, Lord, I'll go to AFRICA." Granted, at this point I knew very little about Africa. I'd never been and had not spent very much time or energy thinking about it (though I always somehow had a little feeling it had a special role in my life....). It seemed like a very scary, foreign place to me where the lifestyle was equivalent to traveling back in time.

When these words came out, literally as if prophetic, they came from almost no where and were so strong on my heart that I could barely keep them in. They were hard to say. Tears came out, and I was somewhat terrified at the thought of being called to AFRICA.... a scary unknown place that most people (at least myself at the time) hope is the last place in the world they are called. I also had a sense of comfort and relief, though. Now that I had given God this "Ok" I knew that He was in control of ALL of my life and that I could fully trust Him with that. I knew that wherever He would lead me, He would take hold of me and direct me and keep me in the palm of His hand as He does anywhere and everywhere else He's placed me.

In years since this moment, I have looked back on this instance and thought it was simply a symbolic gesture.... that God was pulling on my heart in order for me to give all of myself to Him.... to make sure that I was holding nothing back and that I would go anywhere and do anything for my King. Yes, in this moment and in many ways, it was symbolic. I was declaring to God that I would go wherever He asks me- no matter how scary at the time it may seem and whether or not I can see the "big picture". Yet I am also seeing now that it was very literal. He has called me to Africa. It has been years in the making.... a lifetime in the making.... yet the call is on me now. And I am going to Africa.

And although 10 years ago this thought was pretty terrifying to me, God is so good that in the years since He has prepared me in such ways that I now could not be more excited about this call. I've fallen in love with the people and children and beauty of Africa (I know that's a very general statement for a very diverse continent.... just trying to keeping it simple here for sake of length :)). Yes I know there will be hardships as I live there, but there are hardships in life no matter where we are. I also know that I can only be blessed and used as fully by Him as He would like to bless and use me when I am saying "yes" to where He asks me to go. And for me, right now, this is in Tanzania, Africa.

One more cool way He's worked out this thread in my life.... In high school, when I was learning French and Spanish and realizing my love for and knack at foreign languages, I used to say that the next language I was going to learn was Swahili (and I was serious). Not Italian, not German, not Chinese.... Swahili. There are literally hundreds of languages spoken in Africa (1500-2000 actually), and you know what the national language of Tanzania is? Swahili. Swahili originated in Tanzania (out of 54 countries in Africa). Pretty crazy, huh? Looks like the next language I'll be learning is Swahili.

God is SO good. He has good plans for us- plans for a FUTURE and a HOPE (Jeremiah 29:11)- and He prepares us and leads us into those good plans that He has for us. Our only responsibility in the process is to make sure we are saying "yes"... in spite of our fears and even when we can't yet see the big picture.... and He will work out the rest.