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"Really, God?"
As I made my way down the crowded, bustling aisle of U.S. Airways, I thought to myself "Really, God? Are you sure you want ME to do this? Am I spiritually equipped for what you're asking me to do?" It was a question I had asked Him countless times over the past month, and yet, again, He answered with a sweet whiper of "Yes." Despite all the chaos surrounding me in the congested airplane, He whispered "Yes, of course, you are equipped because you have me, the King of Kings, as your Father. I will walk beside you in this journey and hold you in the palms of my hands. You are precious to me. Go, and multiply my Kingdom" So, because of His answer, I sat down in my window seat and anxiously awaited my arrival in Belize.
God has always "whispered" to me, I like to think. It's kind of our thing. It was my treasured Abba Father that whispered sweetly to me one Sunday morning in December to "go," and my life has not been the same since.
God has always placed in my heart a deeply rooted love for spreading His might name; a deeply rooted passion to love on people for Him and, in doing so, shine God's glorious and Holy light into the world. In my hometown in South Carolina, I have had the opportunity to lead a small group of 5th grade boys, and also mentor underprivileged children suffering from generational poverty at a facility called Christ Central. Both of these ministry opportunities the Lord allowed me to be a part of were extremely fulfilling, but I ached for more. I ached to be so uncomfortable that the only one I would be able to rely on was my Maker, so my desperate and pleading prayer to the Father for months was, "please, Lord. Just send me. I want to go." And where I wanted to go, I had no idea! I was just waiting on God to lead me toward a place that His passion and my purpose aligned.
 The week I spent in Belize in March 2012 working with Water Missions literally changed my life. God revealed Himself to me in marvelous ways. While there with my church team, we taught health and hygiene classes to the children at the school where we were also building a bathroom and where Water Missions had previously installed a Living Water Treatment system. I had no idea what to expect, but since my prayer and petition to God going into that week were that my eyes and heart would be open to whatever He wanted revealed to me...I just knew it would be awesome! God is so big, so mighty, and in that week He showed me His grace and mercy and majesty in every sweet little Belizean child's face, He showed me Jesus in every precious pair of brown eyes I looked in to...and Belize then had my heart.
Remembering the night I came home from the mission trip to Belize, I recall talking with my mom and telling her that THIS was what I wanted to do with my life. That missions and ministry was something God had placed a passion in my heart for and that I wanted more than anything to follow that passion He had placed there. So, to make a very long story short, and after countless emails and phone calls, a whole lot of digging into the Word, and a lot of Jesus time, I was going to Belize for the summer! I was going to spend two glorious months in a country that I had fallen in love with.
"Really, God? Are you sure you want me to do this????" The questions began again! But, just as quickly, His answers calmed me and I could hardly contain my excitement as I once again boarded a plane bound for Belize...this time as the first summer intern (lovingly referred to as the "guinea pig") for Water Missions in Belize! My summer adventure began the moment I stepped off the plane into the sweet, sticky, humid air of the place I would call home for the next 2 months. I basked in the fact that the God of the universe, the maker of the stars, the One who breathed into me the breath of life, had given me gifts and talents and a specific purpose to be in Belize. Although I had no idea what would transpire as the Water Missions intern, I knew God had called me to it, and I had said "yes!" As I moved through the days of the summer, I had the privilege of experiencing the ins and outs of ministry. I saw how it is one of the biggest blessings, yet it, at times, can be extremely challenging and even discouraging. I got to see God's grace and provision in a sweet elderly woman's thankful smile because clean drinkable water was provided for her family. I witnessed God's passion for expanding His Kingdom in the fearless service of team members that worked tirelessly putting on skits for Vacation Bible School, painting a bathroom building in the blistering heat, and in a sweet teenager's prayer lifting up to the King a poverty stricken family while evangelizing in a village. He revealed His astounding, all consuming, passionate, complete, and unconditional love for His children and His church. And I am humbled to have been a part of ALL that I experienced this summer.
My experiences have been great. Not only did I discover a deeper relationship with my God, with Jesus, but I learned more than ever to say "yes" to Him, to trust Him. To say that tiny little word to where He calls me to go, As it turns out, He has called me to live in Belize, to make it my home. Not only did He show me that I was made to be in ministry, but He showed me the man of my dreams. The man He designed for me; the man I will soon call my husband... He introduced me to Douglas Flores, the country director for Water Missions Belize! And, once again, I said "YES!" 
So, I used to say that God turned my life upside down, but REALLY He turned it right side up! He has put me in the place He designed just for me...and He has a place just for you, too! And every time the questions begin running through my head, He whispers to me His perfect answer...He chooses and uses ordinary people. Common, simple people with nothing extraordinary about them except that they said "yes!"
What is your answer to His call?
In His grip,
Melanie |
