God’s timing is the perfect time. My plans were to return to Nicaragua in May and work with a team but God decided to bless me by other means this summer. He has taught me a lot about blessings and how they do not always come in the manner we anticipate. The Lord has given me days of feeling “good” which have become beautiful blessings in my life. But, He has also blessed me in days of sickness and pain. Many times, I have taken God’s presence in my life for granted and fallen on my own strength to get me through the day. But, it is during those days which are too much to handle, that He reminds me He is the ONE fighting this battle for me and He is the ONE who is my strength. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10 Come mid-June, I will have had my third surgery within eight months; yet, I have learned that these struggles are God’s sweet testimony in my life. Do I want to experience them all over again? Not necessarily, unless it is God’s perfect plan for me to share the hope of His truth and grace with others. If so, then yes, I will gladly experience each day over and once again rely on His strength. I also believe in His healing hands and I believe that He is alive and at work in my life. So I cry out, “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.” Jeremiah 17:14
In April, some tragic tornadoes ripped through the communities’ right near my house. The day after, I remember sitting on our back porch in the peace of the morning and feeling so helpless. My family was spared and I was so thankful but I also knew that the Lord wanted me to DO something. My prayers began to change from “prayers about going to Nicaragua” to “Lord please allow me to serve those less fortunate and share your sweet comfort (here).” The verse He brought to my heart as I sat thinking about the people affected by the storms was Psalm 57:1 “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in YOU my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” Through those storms, I have heard testimonies of His saving grace and heard miraculous stories of God’s protection. I witnessed hope given to many whose lives were abruptly ripped apart. And I was blessed with new friendships and a chance to speak of His grace and love! My God is so gracious and so good to allow me to become His hands and feet to love and serve His beautiful children. He taught me to accept and live faithfully where He has me at this particular moment and to see each moment as an opportunity to live for Him and be blessed by His unfailing failing love.
I am now being blessed with an opportunity from July 21-August 1 to travel with the youth group from Calvary Chapel Chattanooga to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. We will once again be joining with a local Haitian church in ministering to and serving their community. Last year we were able to join, encourage, and equip a young Haitian woman with leading a women’s Bible study. It was such a beautiful time to hear her hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the women and children in the community and a desire for them to grow with the Lord. It will be an exciting time to see how God has transformed and grown this community over the past year to be more passionately in love with Him. In addition to working with the community of La Union, we are given the opportunity to love on the children at the Mustard Seed Orphanage which is a home for children with disabilities. I have known some of these children for 7 years and each one has a beautiful story of God’s grace and mercy. Though they are dismissed by the world, they are a testimony of God and their lives speak loudly for His Kingdom. May God’s presence continue to increase in both of these communities as they faithfully follow Him.
My trip to Nicaragua this summer has been postponed till August (God willing). Though this summer has been filled with many blessings, I cannot dismiss how hard it has been to not be with my babies in El Cañon. Tears have been shed and constant prayers have been poured over my children at the orphanage in this time away from them. I have been able to have constant contact with someone from the orphanage to check in on all the kids and make sure they are doing well. The love that God has given me for each one of these beautiful faces will never change; even though my trip in August will be slightly different from previous ones and I will be heading out on a new venture in a new community. For about a year, I have had contact with a ministry in Nicaragua but I have not pushed to be a part of the ministry. Recently, they have contacted me and asked me to be praying about visiting the ministry in Nicaragua and consider becoming part of the team. Decisions have not been made, but I do ask that you join with me in praying for God’s clarity and direction in this possible journey. When I want to allow fears to take over, He reminds me that it is He who is in control. So why do I fear when He knew me before I was formed (Jeremiah 1:5)? Why do I fear when it is He that speaks, not me (Jeremiah 1:9)? Why do I fear if it is He that has appointed me? Why do I fear if it is He that is sending me (Jeremiah 1:7)? I will stand with boldness upon His beautiful grace and know that I am His daughter, just a mere vessel being used to share His great love.
Through each one of these journeys, I am being taught anew to be sensitive to God’s Word and the whispers that He is speaking gently to me. Therefore, I ask for your prayers in wherever the Lord is leading me next and that I will humbly step aside and allow Him lead, guide, and direct me through the journeys on the mountaintops and deep within the valleys. Once again, I would like to thank each one of you for your prayers for me over the years; the love you have showered upon me; and the support you have given me. Each one of you is a huge blessing to me and I am so thankful that God has placed each of you in my life. Be blessed!
With much love in Christ,
Alyson Rollins
No comments:
Post a Comment