God's Forever Kind of Family

When my family was split up fourteen years ago because of the separation and divorce of my parents you can imagine the devastation I went through. It's not like life at home was the best. I specifically chose a college farther away so that I could be away from my parents fighting and the depressing atmosphere of my home. Still everyone longs to belong to a family and my heart was no different.

As I look back over the years I see that instead of shrinking my family that my parents' separation has actually grown it. You may wonder how that's possible but God who is author of the impossible was in charge. Even though my family was split and scattered He started to fill in the gaps.

God bought moms and dads and sisters and brothers around to fill in those gaps. Friends from college took me home with them over the weekend. God brought great friends into my life who were like sisters to me. Other friends let me live with them. My small church felt like family. Even to this day God continues to send more people who become like family to me!

 

Sometimes I get a little depressed when I think about the state of my actual nuclear family. I haven't seen my oldest brother for eight years and my youngest brother has grown up like an only child. The part of my family that I do see seems very small. But when I think about all those people God sent to fill in the gap I am amazed. How could end up with such a large family after all?

Do you know why I think that they are like family? My place with them is secure because we are all a part of the family of God. There may not be that connection with everyone in the body of Christ but God puts certain people in our path that stick. The years may go by and circumstances may change but you feel safe with each other and love each other even with the passing of the years. You support each other through the ups and downs and when you are together sometimes it's just as if the years hadn't passed by at all.

I just spent nearly two weeks visiting some of my "family" in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. I wish I had pictures of all those sweet people! They are people that God brought into my life just when I needed them. People who still love me and believe in me despite the distance and time that had passed. Brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers...all a part of God's family. And do you know the best part of being a part of the family of God? It's a forever kind of family!
 

All Wound Up and Waiting...

Have you ever seen one of those old-fashioned wooden tops? They are wound up with string and then tossed to set them spinning.

The kids in Perú love those tops. If you walk down the streets of Cusco, you can see kids somewhere playing with them. Winding them round and round and round with the string and let them go with a flick of the wrist. Some of my little 5 yr. old students were really good at tossing those tops and making them "dance" (as they called it).

I've been thinking about how I feel a lot like one of those tops. I'm all wound up with excitement and a passion for what God is calling me to do back in Cusco. I'm the top and the vision that God has given me to reach kids through the CORASON project and to be a light to the people in Cusco is the cord that wraps round and round and round my heart.

Someone said to me once that maybe God brought me back to the states for a time so that He could increase my passion for what He wants me to do back in Perú. I think he was right! The longer I stay here in the states the more that I want to go back to Cusco, Perú and the more excited I get about all that God is calling me to do. It's like the cord is getting wound and wound tighter and tighter.

I'm ready to go!!! I'm ready to fling free and start doing my crazy top dance. I'm ready to get back to Cusco and do the work God is calling me to do!!!

But here I sit all wound up and waiting...waiting...waiting... I can't fling myself out and I can't do this alone. I need someone to take a hold of my string, pick me up and with a flick of their wrist fling me out. I need a team of people who will pray for me, support me financially and send me out. Just like a top can't start dancing without a hand to fling it out, I can't get back to Cusco to serve God without the funds necessary.

So, are you interested in helping to fling me back to Perú? Pray for me! But also support me financially because together we can see how all the passion God is putting in me for the people in Cusco can become a dance where He gets all the glory and His light shines brightly!!

Please pray about partnering with God's work in Cusco, Perú and supporting me monthly at $100, $50 or $25 a month. Thank you!

You can send donations to:
Commission To Every Nation
P.O. Box 291307, Kerrville, TX 78029
800-872-5404

or donate online at:
www.cten.org/giving