Swallow Your Pride

The most valuable lessons we learn in life are not always the easiest. Learning to swallow your pride and grow from a situation takes discipline and a humility that not everyone is able to attain. I love the saying “God loves to mold us, but He’ll chisel if He must.” This rings so true in our lives by the way God is constantly molding us to become the person we are called to be, but when we face something about ourselves that needs to be drastically changed, God will chisel away at us. It hurts, it’s painful, it’s not something enjoyable, but at the end of the day you know it’s for the better.

I’ve faced a range of emotions in this season of my life. I’m changing and God is the one changing me. He’s chiseling away and I’m enduring and persevering because that’s what God has called me to do. I don’t want to be stuck in one way of doing things and not willing to waver from learned behaviors. I have to unlearn and then relearn. Rather than focus on the negative aspects and the things that would bring me down, I’m focusing on the future and focusing on where God is leading me.

When we are incapable of learning and growing we are incapable of leading. Our leadership is limited by our willingness to change and grow; if we are not growing we are dying.

A debrief from Kenya

As I ventured to Kenya for a second time this year, the emotions I felt were different. I was not overwhelmed with the smells or the scene of poverty overrunning the streets of the slums. I noticed, more prominently this year than last, was HOPE. The children at the schools are filled with so much hope, so much optimism of their future. They dream dreams larger than most American children: Pilots, teachers, neurosurgeons, aeronautical engineers, doctors, nurses, and more.

So many dreams that need filling; how do we help them, how do we improve their situation, is there anything we can do? I saw first-hand how much we can do. God gives us all the resources and abilities we need to help. Most of the time it requires us to be passionate about something and have the discipline to learn more about what's going on and how to help.

“The great miracle and mystery of God is that he calls me and you to be a part of what he is doing in history. He could, of course, with no help from us proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ with lifeless stones, feed the entire world with five loaves and two fish, heal the sick with the hem of his garment and release all the oppressed with his angels. Instead God has chosen us-missionaries, agricultural engineers, doctors, lawyers, lawmakers, diplomats and all those who support, encourage and pray for them-to be his hands in doing those things in the world that are important to him.” Good New about Injustice by Gary A. Haugen