A Year in Perspective
Humble
Beginnings: As I look back on the year
2012 I remember the word humility. Before
I reflect with you, I will give you one caution: Prayer is powerful. Last year
around the new year, a friend of mine led a Bible study on choosing one word
for the coming new year and meditating/praying for it all year. After this
lesson, I chose the word humility. I didn’t know really what true humility was,
but I knew it was what God wanted for me. In God’s grace I was about ready to
be equipped.
Hard
times: After the poor review at my
teaching job, I kicked into high gear, striving to be a better teacher, to do
things right. I learned and grew as a teacher. I became a much better teacher
than when I had started. However, I was not able to keep my job. I prayed more,
my faith grew, and I grew.
Time for
re-focus: Just after the school year
ended I scheduled surgery for my right shoulder to repair a torn labrum. During
the time I was off work, God called me to pray. He asked me to spend time in
prayer with Him every day. I did. It was amazing what He did. He poured into
me. He poured love into me, grace into me, words of life into me. He healed me.
I realized, too, that it was not so hard to love, not when you have been loved
by the Creator of the universe. I continued to grow.
Faithful God: I applied to about 30 different teaching positions
in Nebraska and Iowa and heard not a word. I continued to pray, to have faith,
to believe God for a job. One day I sent a resume to some random job on a
career site for a teaching position of 1 year in South Korea. An email came
back two days later as a positive! I knew I was going to South Korea to teach
English as God had opened the door a mile wide. God was so faithful!
Isaiah 49:8 “Thus says the Lord
‘In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have
helped you.’”
God’s call to
stay for four more months: After receiving the open
door for South Korea, I then began to focus all my efforts on getting my
paperwork together to go. It was a process that was supposed to take about 10
weeks, but I needed it NOW. So again, I trusted the Lord would be faithful to
His promise. After the paperwork came through in about half the time it should
have taken, I had been offered a few different positions in South Korea
already. I felt God calling me to stay in Omaha, that He had something for me
here, that He wanted me to stay. It was tough, and had been tough to live at
home again not having a teaching job. I wanted to leave, to go! And yet He
called me to stay, so I did. I surrendered the next four months to Him in
October 2012 and decided to stay.
The power of
Prayer: After discovering the power
of prayer, I realized that if I could do nothing else, I would pray. After
feeling called to Omaha for a few more months I knew there was a purpose for me
here. I knew my purpose had to do with the re-awakening passion inside me for
ending human trafficking. In college I had learned a lot about what was going
on in the world and in the U.S. involving human trafficking and knew something
had to be done! I didn’t know what to do so I committed myself to one hour/day
prayer for human trafficking. I also quit my retail job by faith because,
though it was a job, I knew it was taking away from God’s purpose for me here
in Omaha. I was not serving the poor or seeking justice for the oppressed as God
says in His word. One week later I saw
an old friend at a morning prayer meeting: Pastor Cainos. I filled him in on my
life and asked for prayer for all God was doing. He called me and asked me to join
the Omaha Dream Center, a new church plant, to work with them on this issue of
human trafficking. Again, God came through in an amazing and wonderful way
because of prayer!
Today: Currently I am working on
human trafficking in Omaha, specifically mobilizing prayer for this issue,
informing people about what is really going on in their city, and joining
forces with other like-minded people to form a united front against this issue
in Omaha and the world. Together we can have a greater impact on this issue. In
early January I will be attending a conference put on by a ministry called
Exodus Cry which will be a powerful time of prayer and speakers who will bring
information about how ministries can have a greater impact on human
trafficking. I am awaiting word from the public schools in Korea, but at this
point have plans to leave for South Korea in February 2013 for my 1 year
teaching contract. I am not finished with the issue of human trafficking and
will continue rather to be an advocate, informant, and prayer warrior for this
issue wherever I am. Please pray for God’s continued guidance in my life to “Walk
in the light as He is in the light.” (1 Jn. 1:7) Thanks for reading!
Please contact me if you would like
more information or have specific questions! J
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