Katie is now 22 and living her days in a village in Uganda, raising 13 girls she's fostering and running Amazima Ministries. She's from Brentwood, TN, so that of course makes her cool in my book, but there is so much more to her than being from Nashville. Some would say Katie has given up so much to live with so little, but after reading her words, I think she would agree that she gave up a lot, yes, but has gained oh so much more. Katie has seen God work day in and day out to meet the needs of the people she loves. What could possibly compare? There's nothing wrong with living in America, but she has learned to be dependent on God for everything. I wonder how much deeper our faith would be, and the actions that pour from it, if we had to truly be dependent on our Father for every day needs.
I must be honest; while reading Katie's book, I became a bit jealous. She has a life I dreamed about for years. I could've been her, had I been bolder and trusted the Lord more. The truth is, my faith is weak. I'm afraid of the unknown. Despite the fact I have the contacts and support to make a life like Katie's happen, I chose the known. I struggle with that, but God has blessed me anyway. I now have a husband that loves me and supports my crazy dreams to be in Zambia, and he's trying to help me make that happen on a temporary basis, since for now, God has us planted pretty deep in Houston for the time being. Maybe if NASA bellies up because our government is become more and more incapable of making smart choices, we're end up there on a permanent basis. In the mean time, God will show us how to stay involved where He's planted my heart while living here.
Isaac and I attempt to live intentionally for Christ, and Katie's words are encouraging me to become even more aware of how we're spending our time and our money. It's not enough to read our Bibles each day and be involved at our church. We've got to be seeking out ways to join God in serving His children day in and day out. That's what matters. Katie is doing an amazing job of having her actions back her words, and because of that, folks are coming to know Christ. Why don't we get how important our actions are, and that helping others-meeting their needs-is exactly how Jesus intends for us to live?
Her descriptions of her emotions during visits back to America ring so true to me. I don't always feel comfortable here after seeing how the rest of the world lives. It's not wrong or bad to live here, but I do think that as Christians it comes with an extra responsibility to be aware of how our time and money are used. Katie has challenged me to stay aware, learn how to remain in a more constant state of prayer, and learn how to stretch my faith.
Check out what Katie is currently up to at her blog called The Journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment