He Knew

Have you ever prayed for something for a really long time, but never expected God to actually answer that prayer?  You thought that maybe, someday, in the far far FAR future, it might happen? Yep.  That was me, until this week.  This past Tuesday, God answered one of my prayers.

Growing up, I would hear people at church talk about mission trips, but really had no idea what they were.  Once I found out what mission trips were, I honestly thought, "Why on earth would someone give up their vacation time to go work for and help other people?  Isn't vacation time when you're supposed to lay around and relax?"  Knowing what I know now, if I could go back in time, I would say to myself "Oh, ye of little knowledge!"  Come to think of it, there's a LOT of things I'd say that about. 

Over the last few years, God has worked on my heart... a LOT! I've felt called to serve on a missions trip.  Really, I've had on my heart that when Mike finishes nursing school, we would serve on a medical missions trip together.  But missions trips cost money, which we don't have much of right now, so I figured that some day we'd be able to serve together.  I'd been praying that God would open the door for one of us, if not both of us, to serve on a missions trip - to give back to others.

Last week I was asked at work if I would be interested in going on a missions trip with an organization called Operation Christmas Child.

If you're not familiar with Operation Christmas Child (OCC), it's an organization that was started to share the love of Christ to children in need through gifts in shoeboxes.  The shoeboxes are packed with items like tooth brushes (to an American child, they would probably be upset to get a tooth brush, but to a child in foreign country growing up in poverty or in an orphanage where 30 kids share a single tooth brush, having your OWN tooth brush is a BIG deal) coloring books, crayons, small toys, hard candy, gloves, hair bows, hair brushes, pencils, paper, etc.  Basically as much stuff as you can fit into a shoe box that would bless the life of a child.  This year, OCC will be delivering their 100 Millionth shoe box.  Yes, I said 100 Millionth shoe box!  That's 100 MILLION sweet little faces who have been given, quite possibly, the best gift in their life.     

I talked to Mike about going on the missions trip and he responded with a fast "Go for it!" so I told my boss I was interested.  She said to hold tight and they'd get back with me soon to let me know if I was selected or not to go on the trip.

Because I knew the possibility was there to go on the trip, I went ahead and applied for my first passport.  The day I mailed out my passport application was the day before Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast, and my passport was headed straight towards Philadelphia.  I was a bit nervous thinking about my application making it to Philly in one piece, or if part of it (including my original birth certificate) would be out floating in the ocean!    

This past Tuesday, I found out that I, along with one of my co-workers from our Kansas City office, and one of our DJ's from California, will be going on the missions trip.  We leave December 4th for the Dominican Republic!!!!!!!! Thursday, I found out that my passport application made it to the Passport Office in Philly.  Thank you GOD!   

I can not believe that God has answered a prayer, that He himself placed in my heart.  Every time I talk or even think about the trip, I get excited.   I'm as giddy as a child on Christmas morning just thinking about the trip!  Thinking about those kids opening their shoe boxes, the excitement in their hearts and on their face that a complete stranger cared enough about them to send them a box full of gifts!  To think that we have such a loving God that He would put into the hearts of people to create such a blessing program and ministry - and that I get to serve alongside them in December!!!!

Looking back, I've realized that God really knows what He is doing.  God really knew what He was doing when I left my job in 2009 to take my current job.  He knew I would FREAK OUT at the thought of walking away from a $20,000 raise.  He knew I needed to have faith and gain His trust walking away from that raise for my current job.  He knew that I was pretty self centered and really only cared about what was best for me.  He knew that I needed to have a serious reality check to figure out that everything ISN'T about me!  (Imagine that!)  God knew all along that He was going to strangely warm my heart towards others - specifically others less fortunate and orphans - and do this through my current job.  He knew what it would take to humble me.  He knew all along that my heart would lean towards missions and orphans.  He knew that on December 4th, 2012, he would send me to the Dominican Republic for a missions trip with Operation Christmas Child.

All I can say is, "I want to know what He knows!"