As a team we have been doing a ton of construction type projects here recently; everything from repairing benches, pouring concert, to fixing windows.
This had been a pretty constant project for our crew for about a week or so. We have been measuring, remeasuring, sawing, and machete-ing to get the perfect fit.
There were a few bumps in the road (like the time the pastors wife told us to do it one way and then the pastor coming and saying it’s all wrong) but overall it has been a project that, at least for myself, has been enjoyable.
The last few days we have been focusing our energy elsewhere.
Today for instance, we started clearing part of the jungle on the ministries property to plant a vegetable garden. It was a dirty, muddy, physically demanding day. But I also haven’t laughed as hard as I did in a very long time!
After this long strenuous day, one of my teammates and sweet friends, Jamie, wanted us to go read our bibles in the church (one of the only indoor spaces we have to go while we are here).
When we walked in Jamie pointed out how the windows were finished. My immediate reaction was “woah AMAZING!” Then as I looked around the church, I noticed the windows our team had worked so hard to build. They were laying off to the side, not being used and basically just wasting space.
My immediate reaction to this was confusion, disgust, and to be real with y’all, I was annoyed. After we worked so hard to make sure this windows were as close to perfect as possible, it was hard to see them not being used in the way that I originally thought.
Then, as soon as these thoughts came into my mind, I immediately felt convicted.
Am I willing to continue to do the work at hand knowing it might not always be used in the way I originally thought?
This leads me to my Walk with Christ.
Am I willing to continue to listen to His Spirit and act upon it even though it might not always be used how I think it will?
Am I willing to sacrifice my thoughts, ideas, and plans for what I think is best in order to allow the Lord to work through me?
What is your window? What is the “thing” that the Lord is asking you to step into right now? Are you willing to throw your preconceived notions to the side in order to follow Him deeper?
I hope so. I pray that this is the case for my life and I pray that this is the case for your life as well.
Your thoughts hit me like a ton of bricks. Thank you for being open and honest. I hope I can learn the same lessons as you without going to Honduras. Thank you, Kayla!
It can be very hard to see our efforts not being needed or discarded. You have a heart of a servant. Takes a lot of praying and sacrifice to keep going forward!
Kayla, your thoughts really hit home to me. I am preparing to go spend 2-3 months at my daughter’s home in Oklahoma City, caring for two babies under the age of two and three more grandchildren in school! I’m leaving my home of peace and quiet to live in a home of 5 kids and 4 adults! It will definitely be a busy and loud experience! Being 71 years old I pray my patience and strength will hold up. I’ll constantly be looking through a window to find the Lord’s help to be kind and loving. A window of determination, knowing this is where The Lord is sending me to help my daughter get through this time in her families lives! I am blessed to be able to go and serve where I’m needed! God bless you, Kayla, as you continue growing and serving God’s kingdom! You are in my prayers every day!
Hey Sweet Kayla! Your message is so good. Thank you for these words of wisdom. Are we willing to continue the work at hand even if it won’t be used in the way we thought? Are you willing to throw your preconceived notions to the side in order to follow Him deeper? We all need to ponder these questions….with the Lord’s help, hopefully, we will come up with the humble answer. Keep up the thought provoking questions! We love you!
Wonderful words of wisdom, Lala! I feel this as a teacher a LOT!! We have all the intentions of each lesson going a certain way and getting our students to think a certain way…. or loving our kids enough to get them to behave a certain way, but the truth is, we never know exactly how God is working behind the scenes. We just gotta keep plugging away, doing our best to follow God one step, one job, one window at a time!! ??
Hey, sis!
This is very thought provoking.
Am I willing to sacrifice my thoughts, ideas, and plans for what I think is best in order to allow the Lord to work through me? The answer to that is yes. Sometimes. This is a hard one. It is a constant work in progress for me.
What is your window? What is the “thing” that the Lord is asking you to step into Throwing my preconceived notions to the side in order to follow what the plan is for me is sometimes very easy while other times more difficult. Some times I must just remind myself to step back, in order to see the “whole picture” more clearly. Once I do that, it is much easier for me to allow God to take me by the hand and lead me through it according to his plan, not mine.
As you always do, thanks for the gentle reminder!
I love you,
Mom
As always a great read. Thank you for reminding me to keep God’s will, not mine in mind all the time.
Looking forward to your next update. Keeping you in prayer!