Preface to today’s blog: The support, encouragement, and love I have received from my family and friends for my upcoming trip to Africa and been so overwhelming. The words, the prayers, blessings--everything just has made me an emotional wreck. I recently received a certain email that brought me to my knees, tears to my eyes. I won’t share the whole thing, but thirteen simple words broke me. "I am so very proud of you, Amanda. My heart is full today."
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had this dream and vision that someday I would be going to Africa. It’s just been a “duh” thought, my entire life. Like, “Duh, why wouldn’t I go?” So for me, it just feels natural. Like it’s been in my blood, embedded in my brain and on my heart, and it’s just being lived out like the norm.
So when people jokingly call me crazy, or don’t understand my motives, or send me touching emails, I, at first, am like: What’s the hype?
And I woke up today and saw a new light. This ISN’T the norm. This ISN’T something everybody just gets to go do in their day to day life, and here I am, living out my dream like it ain’t no thang. But this is HUGE. This is my chance to finally DO the something I’ve felt called to do. And it IS SOMETHING. I was thinking the other day how some people win Academy’s. Some win Grammy’s and Superbowls and World Titles. They win races and campaigns and championships...
Going on this trip is like winning my Grammy. It’s the ultimate of the ultimate of all the nonprofit work I’ve done in my life. It’s my dream becoming reality.
I’M the one who’s blessed.
I’M the one who’s humbled and grateful and honored and proud.
So, I guess, what do YOU do when your Visions start becoming your Realities? I’d like to start by thanking the Academy….
No. Wait. I’d like to thank God that He’s got such a sense of humor that He’d trust me with this path in life and continue to thank Him for never leaving my side. God, for some crazy reason, has chosen me for this lifestyle—I think he got my birth papers mixed up at the hospital—but He’s been working through me for awhile, so I GUESS all I can do is sit and ride this one out and see what He’s got up that crazy sleeve of His, huh?
Great blog! This is so important for us to remember...this is HUGE and it's only by God's grace that we get to do what we do. I hope that we always remember that even when we've been on tons of trips.
ReplyDeletePraying for you Amanda. I know God is going to do amazing things!!!!