“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20
Leading up to my move to South Carolina was one of the hardest seasons I’ve ever faced. I was living the life I thought I wanted, all the while avoiding the life God had chosen for me. I was disobedient, choosing to work a job that I thought would make me happy only realizing at the end of each day that I was actually miserable and dreading the next one. I had finished my time at college and my lack of ‘life plans’ left my mind blank. I was discontent, uneasy, and struggling with anxieties. How? This question ran across my mind over and over. How did I get to this place? Just months before I was serving as a summer staff in South Carolina. I was loving Jesus, loving others, and life was wonderful. How did it all change so quickly? I didn’t know much, but I did know that I couldn’t remain stagnant in the place I felt buried.
I was wrestling with myself constantly. Selfishly, I has been trying to ‘make it work’ back home in West Virginia while simultaneously feeling the Lord pull me towards South Carolina. The problem was- if I moved, I really wouldn’t have had plans or a job, which froze me. This was something that would require A LOT of faith. A few months passed, and I finally started praying to the Lord about my life and the changes I needed to make. I knew I had to just pack up and move down to the South, so that was it. I set a date – January 31st. When I moved here, I had no job and no place of my own. I only had gracious friends who invited me into their home while I caught my footing. A week after being here, I was offered a job as a substitute teacher at a Christian Preschool Program. I was thrilled, I HAD A JOB! It was 16 hours a week- so less than part time, but I was able to pick up some babysitting and house cleaning jobs to cover the slack.
Somehow, in the midst of figuring out how this was supposed to work, I had an enormous amount of peace. Peace that I have never felt before. Even though my life wasn’t where I ever imagined it to be, I had faith that the Lord would continue to provide in some way. I certainly did not plan on interning for a fourth summer with Next Step, but I and the Lord had different plans. The summer taught me much, as always, and I found myself putting my trust into the Lord more than ever. It’s like I knew what actual surrender and true faith looked like now, my perspective had changed. Right before the summer ended, I signed onto a lease with two other wonderful roommates. God had provided a way for me to have a home of my own!
As the summer came to an end, I was offered job opportunities that came as such a blessing. The church I am apart of offered me a part time job in student ministries, the preschool hired me back on as a teacher, and Next Step took me on as the South Carolina Partnership Coordinator. All I have to say is GOD IS SO GOOD! God provides and He is constant and persistent in pursuit of our hearts. He knows what is best and what we are meant for. I feel silly now for not listening at first, but am I thankful I have chosen to live in God’s promises. I am thankful for trials and unknowns, I am in awe of the way the Lord works and what he teaches us as we navigate through this thing called life.
So, that’s my story on how I ended up here. I am excited to be able to share with you the monthly updates on what’s happening here in the communities! Here in SC we are partnering with four different communities in the surrounding areas. We have Belle Meade, Happy Town, Cayce, and Lexington. There are multiple active programs that are meeting the basic needs of families and individuals, as well as their spiritual needs. I can’t wait to share more of what’s happening on next months blog!
Prayer Requests:
- For the community of Belle Meade: Belle Meade has experienced a lot of families transitioning out of the community as new families transition into it. As this happens, there’s been an increase of crimes and gang activity in the community. Many families have put fences with locks on them to keep people out. The majority of the crimes are coming from kids aging from 5 to 18. They run in a group together and choose to break windows to people’s homes, vandalize property, and slit tires on vehicles. I ask for prayer over these kids, that He would place Godly influences in their lives to look up to. The majority of the kids don’t have fatherly figures in the home. Single mothers are either staying at home, depending on food stamps, or working endless hours to keep the bills paid. There isn’t much guidance or structure to the daily routines of these children and I believe this contributes to some of their behavior. It’s a cycle that just continues to take place generation after generation. Also, we could use prayer for the families who are angry and bitter at the crime going on and for me as I continue to invest in and spend time with these kids weekly.
- Prayer for this month as we enter into the Holiday Season of Thanksgiving. Pray for the Lord’s provision for families as we work with local ministries to collect food for Thanksgiving baskets being put together for families. Pray that the Lord calls His people, they respond, and He is glorified!
Thank you all for your prayers and support!
