I wonder sometimes if a person can fully appreciate, completely realize how blessed they are. We are all likely to face something tough in our lives, but how we endure those hard times shapes us into a better person. How we deal with those trials speaks truly of our faith, endurance, integrity and character. I have had some moments in my life that did not speak well of me. Some of it was due to a desire to rebel, my spirit was tired of the pressure, the expectations placed upon me. Other times, I think I handled better, and some of the people who witnessed my ability to endure hardship or a difficult situation were able to tell me how it effected them. I was given the opportunity to hear what impression I made on their lives which was a direct result of how my behavior spoke for me. In my quiet time today I read how much God desires for us to be wise and faithful with what we have been given. We have a choice, to hide it and selfishly keep it to ourselves or we can be selfless and invest it, build upon it and make wise decisions with it. Our wisdom will bring us abundance as He has promised in His word. It is not in our nature to be giving, but rather to be selfish. Why not choose to be selfless, do something not true to our nature and give out of our own blessing. It is what sets us apart from everyone else. It speaks volumes to the kind of person we need to be.
Mission trip
Mission trip. The words don't do justice to the purpose, do they? What it is is so much deeper, fuller, richer than the two words actually sound like. Those two words make it sound so simple, but in reality it is an incredible journey that will impact a human life on so many levels. I have had the wonderful opportunity at several times in my life to serve in missions, both here in the United States and abroad. My parents were huge supporters of home and foreign missions all their lives, and we were raised to have a great appreciation for missions as a result. I have incredible memories of our trip to Hong Kong when I was 14 years old. I served in the summer missions program in my hometown, Springfield, Missouri, for several years working in day camps with local kids of all ages. I served in Hawaii for one summer working with some challenging kids in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in a small town on the island of Oahu. I served in Salt Lake City, Utah during the Wi...
Comments