RESTORATION

The Lord works in mysterious ways…at exactly the right time.
After a particularly trying group of participants I was feeling the wear and tear of living in another country, communicating in another language, and being responsible for what is the highlight of many teenagers’ summers. I missed PROCESSING, I missed CONVERSATIONS, I missed FRIENDS, and I missed HEARING GOD speak into my life. I felt tired and very alone. My body was crying out for rest and my spirit was crying out for attention. This was God’s response:
- On Friday evening I got to talk to my supervisor and friend for an hour.
- On Friday night I spent 3 hours connecting with friends and family from home.
- On Saturday morning I had the opportunity to journal while I waited for my laundry.
- On Saturday afternoon I got to have a great conversation with one of our community partners for a few hours.
- On Saturday evening I was able to feel like part of a family as we watched the Arecibo basketball team win the championship with some community friends.
- On Sunday morning we sang these words…
o “RAIN DOWN / MY SOUL IS THIRSTY / BUT ILL KEEP SINGING / RAIN ON ME…”
o “I WILL CALL YOU / AND YOU WILL ANSWER / IN AN INSTANT YOU ARE AT MY SIDE / THERE IS NO ONE LIKE YOU IN THE WHOLE WORLD…”
…and tears poured down my face
- After service the pastor’s wife prayed for God’s strength and restoration to empower me
- Sunday afternoon a friend from another YouthWorks! site called me just to pray with me before our groups showed up for the next week
- Our group didn’t arrive until late so my staff and I had enough time to prepare and feel really on top of things for a GREAT start to the week!
I’ve told several people that this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. But I’ve also learned firsthand that God will not ask us to do anything we are not equipped for. No matter how many times I have to reach into the depths of myself to find those remaining smiles and chipper mornings, I will never run dry…y signo cantando! I keep singing!