Okay, so being a visual learner I learn best by examples of real life situations that I can imagine… so prepare yourself for this actual life example and how I tie it into my daily walk with Christ.
This past week we went to a boys center called “Hope Center”, its a place where men take boys off the streets and disciple them and give them a free education and after two years they graduate and go back to their homes to make a better life for themselves with Christ as their center. So at Hope Center we were asked to carry water from a storage holder about a half a mile away. Bucket in hand we made our way through a field of wheat (or so it looked like), tough grass, and plants with spikes. Once we arrived to the container I realized that this bucket with water could not be carried by me alone, so I asked Traday to help. We started and everything was going great. We were having a good time, the water was staying in the bucket, and this was a super easy task… and then we started walking. We soon realized that trying to carry a bucket full of water while walking a normal pace was harder than we originally anticipated. If someone walked to fast and the other too slow… we sloshed and water everywhere, if we weren’t on even ground with each other someone would trip and spill water, but if we walked the same pace… held the bucket at the same level… and didn’t trip… it was smooth sailing. Kind of like our relationship with Christ, at first it looks like everything will be super easy and now that we are walking with Christ everything will be smooth sailing. But the moment we try to take too much control or rush the pace of Gods plans we stumble (or spill water). Its tough work, takes a lot of communication, and at sometimes your going to get a little messy… but in the end its all worth it and you come out on the other side a better person.
Hope Center was an awesome place to go and hang out with these boys. They were insightful, youthful, and inspiring. As this trip is starting to reach its conclusion I ask for prayers in my life and in the life of my team. I pray we do not become stagnant in our ministry and that we continue to remain on fire for Africa.
I love you mom, dad, Thomas, and OIivia
God Bless,
Elizabeth “Liz” Brantley
