in the Spring, I prayed for patience. My sweet cousin Loren recently posted a blog where she talked about courage. She said that God doesn't make us brave, but He gives us opportunities to be brave. I believe the same can be said for patience. While I was praying for patience, an opportunity came. I had a friend come to me and ask me how a situation was going and I told her I didn't really know, things were going slowly, and I was still waiting for things to play out.Then she asked me if I had been praying for patience. I was shocked. How did she know? She read my expression of surprise I'm sure and then said, "Here's your chance to be patient. Be careful what you pray for."
This summer my prayer was that God would give me people that were hard to love and that I would love them like He does. I don't really know why I prayed this. I guess I was looking for a challenge. I worked with five other college age students as a summer missionary this summer. I loved me job and the people I got to work with. Our last week of work was a mission trip to Wichita, Kansas. I was excited about this trip and about spending time with my friends...then my Dad (who was also my boss) told me that my younger sister Hannah would be going on the trip as well. She needed to go on a mission trip but I wanted this to be my trip, with my friends, to end my summer. Selfish, I know. I was mad. But then God reminded me of what I had asked Him for. I prayed for this to happen. Hannah is two years younger than I am and probably the hardest person for me to love. She just knows how to get under my skin. But God sent her with us and I'm glad He did. He showed me how to be patient with her and to love her like He does.
In the last few months, I have been praying that God would break my heart for what breaks His. I didn't really know what this would look like at first. I still don't really know. But He is answering. My heart is breaking and it hurts. I don't know why I thought it would be painless, it is a BROKEN heart after all. God is opening my eyes to things that I have been sheltered from or just ignored in the past. He is shattering my American Dream and showing me His dreams. There is so much more than just what I see in my own little world
You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask for anything in my name, and I will do it!
- John 14:13-14
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