Sometimes, I reach points in my life that are absolutely blank pages. It's crazy how they happen. God shuts a door (I don't really know how they happen), and then I find myself somewhere amazing - much more amazing than I could have planned.
As a bit of encouragement and reflection, I'm going to list some of those moments now:
- At Davidson, when I didn't get the hall counselor position. I remember I looked at the world map over my roommate, Mary Donoghue's bed, and decided Ecuador was the place to study abroad!
- Independent study in Ecuador: Where the heck was I going to go? Well, I knew I wanted to be in the Amazon, working with an indigenous political organziation. But one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Ecuador in the first place was because of stories I'd heard growing up of Elizabeth and Jim Elliot. Wouldn't you know it that I ended up working with the indigenous organziation the represents the Waorani's to the Ecuadorian government.
- Field semester in grad school: I was trying to get back to South Africa, but felt less and less peace about it, and finding it frustratingly hard to get a work or volunteer position there. I had ALWAYS wanted to go to the "Holy Land." And wouldn't you know it, I ended up working with university students (awesome!) right smack in areas where Americans don't normally go (sweet!). And I also learned some of the biggest lessons of my life.
- Working for FOCUS: Now, THAT was random :) I needed tremendous emotional and spiritual healing after the West Bank. So I ended up with some of the best co-workers and supportive staff team I've ever had, with an organization I grew up with, and spent a summer on Martha's Vineyard!! The work is such a blessing!
Conclusion: God is crazy, creative, and intimately personal. He knows what I want before I ask. What's even more amazing is that I don't deserve it. Timothy 1:9 (New International Version)
who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
