A Faithful God

As my time at YWAM Harpenden is coming to an end, I've started to consciously process what it is exactly that I have been learning here. Of course I've been thinking as the time has gone on; things have come up to get rid of in my life, skills have been sharpened and gifts have been discovered. But there’s been an over-arching theme to everything that has happened. And it’s because of all the ways that I've seen God in my daily life that I know that my coming here to serve and bless the nations has not been an accident or just a good idea that I thought of during my own DTS.

It is because I serve such an adventurous God that I have been given the opportunity to move overseas, go through culture shock almost every day (yes, even in England) and meeting amazing people from all over the world. It is because I am the daughter of such a faithful God that I am able to do the kind of job that I only dreamed about growing up, that I can be a part of the healing process for others while I go through my own discovery of who God. It is because I am known by such a loving God that I could come to this environment where I can make mistakes, be an absolute emotional wreck at times and see myself strengthened in the midst of fire while a community cheers me on.

Because of all these and more, I know that that it was not an accident for me to come to this small town just outside of London instead of following the footsteps of many others to university. It is because of these things that I know that I am a completely different person than who I was when I started my DTS almost three years ago. Before, I was closed off to others and couldn't speak to a small group without feelings of anxiety, pessimistic and independent. Now, I've spoken in front of people (sometimes thirty, sometimes hundreds) without shaking and have come to enjoy the opportunities I get to speak, my faith has been increased to see the positive in life and, although vulnerability with others is something I struggle with and find hard to do, I've found the most healing when I've had to squash my pride and ask others for help.

Because of all these things, I think a more than accurate description of my time here comes from Revelations 21:5 (ESV). 

"And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’"

A consistent promise God has made over these past three years is that beauty would rise from ashes, that I would see the fulfillment of his goodness while I am here and that this was a time to be myself- to be who I was created to be. That was the promise. And I know that His words are trustworthy and true as He is a faithful God and He will finish the good work that He started within me in the days to come.