Sometimes, we think we have life figured out.
Sometimes, we think we know the path our lives should take.
Sometimes, we are so confident in ourselves and our life direction that we quit clinging to God and cling instead to the "securities" in our lives.
And then, sometimes, God steps in and wrecks it all.
That is the place I am at in my life right now, and it is the best place I have ever been.
Since the beginning of time, God has liked to make beautiful things out of broken things. Consider, for instance, the Biblical Esther, Ruth, Daniel, Job, Paul... all were first broken before their "self" was out of the way enough for God to have room to move in and put them on the path that would lead them to fulfill their beautiful, God-designed destiny. He never leaves things broken, but the brokenness is a necessary step to sculpt and reshape the person into a strong, whole, pure vessel that can be a testimony of God's kingdom, power, and love.
Recently, the Lord has brought me through a time of brokenness to redirect me onto a new path. On April 2, I will be leaving Indiana to complete a YWAM PhotogenX Discipleship Training School (DTS). The school combines photography with missions and teaches students how to use photography as a tool to open doors for evangelistic ministry and as a change-agent to give a voice to the voiceless.
I will spend three months at the YWAM base in Kona, Hawaii studying the Bible, missions, and photography. Following the three months of training, I will embark on a three month outreach to either Central America or South Africa, where I will use my camera as a tool to minister, evangelize, and further God's kingdom on earth.
I have always had a desire in my heart to help people groups that are being oppressed, ignored, or denied a voice. I pursued a career in journalism, never really considering that this "call" on my life might lead me to full-time mission work. However, as I look back on the last few years of my life it is obvious that God has arranged every detail to bring me to the place where I currently find myself. After completion of the DTS, there are numerous opportunities for further involvement with YWAM. At this point I don't know where the Lord will lead me at the end of my outreach in September, for now He has just given me the "next piece" to the puzzle.
It just so happens that the "next piece" was a seeming impossibility that He has turned into reality. When I first felt Him leading me to consider the DTS--two weeks ago--I didn't think there was any way I would be in Hawaii on April 2. I had missed the application deadline, didn't have a camera, didn't have sufficient funds to cover the training, etc., etc., etc... God miraculously worked out each of those details. He has proved to me over and over that He is always more than enough, for any need, and I know that He will continue to meet my every need as I follow Him and His direction for my life.
Please keep me in your prayers as I get ready to leave on April 2. I am still trusting the Lord to provide $6500 for my mission outreach. If you feel led to join me in my mission work as a financial supporter, donations can be sent to:
Church of the Cornerstone
P.O. Box 743
Auburn, IN 46706
Nothing is more exciting than to be at the center of the Lord's will, and I can't wait to embark on this journey to see what He will do over the course of the next six months.
