Shared Experiences

Do you ever try to give someone advice and realize that the very words coming out of your mouth are meant for you? Isn't it weird how that happens? It happens to me ALL of the time! When I decide to help someone and end up in deep conversations about life and God and such, I end up reflecting on what I'm saying and it's as if God made me speak it so I could actually HEAR it!

Today I was talking with a friend who feels like there's more for them out there. They feel like there's a better job, town, and life waiting, but they cannot see it or understand what path yet to take. So I started to tell them about my experience just a few years ago when I left Maryland. For about all of 2003, I was miserable. My parents were divorcing, I was working really hard at teaching, I was in charge of several church-related activities, and I was helping my sister who was living with me. And, on top of it all, I was mad at God because my greatest desire in life was to be married and have a family, and NONE of that was happening. That summer, I decided to give all of my time to God. I did summer camp, took a group of students to National Fine Arts in Austin, TX, and went on a missions trip to Juarez, Mexico. At the end of the summer, I remember thinking, "I cannot go back to life as normal as a teacher--I just CAN'T do it!" Something had been stirred in my heart and "normal" wasn't good enough anymore. I had a dream about two weeks before school started that I was actually in my classroom, ripping posters off of the wall and running out of the building! (And all of the teachers just said "Amen"! :)

The day before school started, I got a phone call that changed everything. The district youth director from our church denomination called and offered me a job. Now, it was the day before school...there was NO WAY I could leave! So I started the school year and actually turned down the job. A month later, he called again and said that he wanted me to continue to pray about the opportunity. He felt like I was supposed to work in that office. So I told God, "Okay, if you want me to go, you will have to get me out of my teaching contract, find me an affordable place to live [because I was taking a HUGE pay cut], and get me a washer/ dryer because I'm NOT going to a laundrymat!" Within one week, I had resigned; the principal wrote a letter to human resources, releasing me from my contract; my new boss evicted his tenant so I could live in his house for SUPER cheap rent; and one of my best friends bought a new washer/ dryer and asked if I wanted his! I didn't make a call, ask anyone for anything, or push to try to find anything--it all just fell in my lap.

Moving to Virginia was the best decision I ever made because it was God's will for my life and I was following it. And this is what I told my friend today. As I was telling her this story I realized that I was again, mentally, back in Maryland, waiting for a plan to unfold. I was reminded that there is MORE out there for me to do in ministry and God used these shared experiences with my friend today to actually speak into my own life!

The next time you are helping a friend and giving advice, LISTEN to your own words. You never know when your words could be meant for YOU!

To all of the students and teachers out there...let tomorrow be your first random act of kindness day! Find someone to bless! Have a great school year!