United States of America
I’ve spent a good portion of my life surviving. Calculating my next bill, my energy level for my next plan, or limiting what I could do based on fear.
As God has continued his healing work in my life He has been teaching me to dream.
He told me dreaming is reaching. It’s reaching for something. I guess I never believed I could reach too far.
I used to wait expectantly for the next bad thing to happen. But God has been showing me that He’s big enough for anything. Why not expect the future to be filled with His miracles?
In preparation for the conference, God taught me something new through a dear friend. That doubt is putting a negative on the future. That I can eliminate doubt. Yeah! Right!? I can say no! To doubt?
I’ve been changing my “What ifs?” to positives based on God. What if it’s good, what if he showed up?! What if God heals me? What if it goes great? And you know what? It’s not positive thinking.
It’s faith. It’s believing God is who He says He is, He can do all He says He can do, and He will.
I didn’t know I could reach or dream because I’ve been doubting who He is. But, He’s teaching me to fly. To dream and to reach because He’s already in tomorrow. I never imagined I’d occupy that space in my heart!
But God has made that possible when I couldn’t even imagine it before.
Thank you, Lord!
Clara
United States of America
I met Jesus on a Red Dirt road. This is the title of a story. I didn’t think I’d be writing, let alone living.
It was the year 2018, May to be specific, like all things relating to the Lord, I had no idea what I was in for.
To say I met Jesus may seem bizarre right?? After all, He isn’t even alive anymore. But rest assured, I stand by my statement. I was a kid in church always wondering how all these people were seemingly so into something that I didn’t have any concept for.
To be quite honest, Church seemed to be nothing but a waste of my time.
As I said, it was 2018. It was January and I was residing in Lincoln Nebraska finishing my senior year of college.
I was a mess. My best friend had just gotten pregnant which meant my next nine months were also about to look a lot different. Say goodbye to every trip we had planned, not to mention my major was psychology and pre-physician assistant. Yet I had no dream or desire to actually do hospital work.
So how does any of this relate to Jesus? Spoiler alert, everything is related to Jesus, and I do mean everything, even when we think it isn’t.
I was devastated and had no idea what direction my life was about to take. And then I read a book. It was a book I’d been meaning to read for a decade, yet never got around to it: “Kisses from Katie” by Kate Davis. She was a teenager graduating high school who decided to go to Uganda for a mission trip after graduating high school. Long story short, Katie fell absolutely in love with the country of Uganda and the continent of Africa, and she still resides there to this day.
I may not have known much else if anything at that point in my life, but I knew this much: I was going to Africa over hell or high water. In fact, I made it my personal mission to get over there as soon as I graduated from college.
And I did well, correction, God did. I just said yes.
The night the application closed, I scrolled upon an Instagram post from a nonprofit in Nashville, accepting applicants for a mission trip to Masindi, Uganda. I applied three weeks later, and I was accepted. I couldn’t believe it.
As time drew near , we started doing group calls in preparation for our trip.
Little did I know the very organization that I was going to Uganda with (love + ONE International) was the same organization that helped Katie Davis get her nonprofit up and running.
My mind was blown. How could this be?
Only Jesus. He specializes in stuff like this.
It gets better.
When I actually got to Uganda, it was like heaven on earth.
Like I said, it was where I met the love of my life Jesus!
It was a normal day. Every day starts just the same. This one was no different. I went with my group to a village that day. It was amazing, but a story for another time.
The day in the village wrapped up, and we returned to the main school. It really was a normal afternoon to the common eye, but rest assured, there’s no such thing as common when God’s involved.
The rest of the afternoon I was attacked by kisses, hugs and affection and love. The school kids and I chased each other up and down the red dirt road until those mean adults made us part ways.
I left in a big white van with beautiful ebony-skinned faces and hands chasing me down.
I’d finally felt IT. What do you ask? Love – not the worldly kind or even the kind we receive from our parents or loved ones. It’s a different type of love. It’s heavenly, it’s Holy.
If you haven’t felt this all consuming gut wrenching totally consuming love it’s OK.
I hadn’t either. All you have to do is ask. That’s it. As simple as “God, if you’re real, let me know.”
That was my prayer all those years ago. He isn’t too good to be true. He’s not magical or a genie in a bottle. He’s real, and He’s yearning and waiting for the very day you asked to get to know him.
Believe me it’s an adventure you don’t want to miss.
So be it XOXO
Kristen Ann
