I am now on the backside of the one-week countdown before I take off for my first trip out of the country. The right moment and purpose have come together and I am eager to witness what is in store for me and everyone else involved in this trip. I have no idea what relationships will be formed, what lessons will be learned, what new walls will come tumbling down within my heart, etc…I only know that all of that and more will happen without fail.
I don’t always do exactly what God tells me to do (and that is a huge understatement, if I’m being totally honest), but when I felt Him calling me to this, I ran toward it with reckless abandon. I know it was the right decision because He has done nothing but pour His blessings all over this endeavor and has drawn me closer and closer to Him at a time when I needed Him to remind me who I am and why I am here. He has blessed me with a tremendous amount of support for this trip from so many loved ones in my life and even some folks I barely know. After 2 more generous donations just today, we are dollars away from the $2,000 mark on a $1,000 goal! I haven’t even touched Haitian soil yet and we are already well on our way to funding a second trip with my oldest daughter that will take place in 2016 ! As if that were not enough all by itself, He also matched me with exactly the right people to grow and learn from. The more I speak with Debbie and Bill Harvey, founders of Helping Haitian Angels, the more I fall in love with not just WHAT they are doing but HOW they are approaching their mission. They have humbly shared some of the lessons they have learned from mistakes made out of good intentions, but because they were seeking to see what was before them through God’s eyes and not their own and because they take the time to stop, listen, learn and seek His guidance over everything they do, they have been blessed with His favor and wisdom. It hasn’t come without its challenges and struggles and any human being will be quick to agree that none of us are getting out of this life without challenges. But even those come bearing gifts of beauty and growth and that is exactly what the this brave couple are harvesting…growth, wisdom, experience, etc. and these are being passed on to fools like me who need to be reminded all the time which way is up.
So far, there isn’t one bone within the confines of my flesh that is anxious or concerned about any aspect of this trip. There is nothing for me to second-guess about my decision or desire to experience whatever is in store for me. I know I have been put in the best hands possible and those hands were lovingly selected by the Great I AM to change lives…not just lives in Haiti, but also (and especially) those of us who live in a very different world…a world that is crying out for more by way of less…More God and less self, more joy and less apathy, more internal wealth and less stuff.
As I begin to pack my bag, there is nothing I can bring with me that will prepare me for all the ways that Helping Haitian Angels, the community around Cap Haitian and its children will ROCK MY WORLD. All I know is that I am ready to be torn inside out and have my heart handed to me by tiny, loving hands. I am ready for all that I’m not ready for.
You are such a beautiful gift to our Kay Anj and HHA family Karen!!
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