Listen and Respond [Guest Post by Amy]

We are not called to save the world. To end the poverty cycle. To make sure that every
child has a family and is loved. Luckily, God didn’t ask me or any of us for that matter to
coordinate an action plan to “save” the world.

All that he asks of you and me is to love Him with our whole self & to love our
neighbors.

When we decide to truly follow these commandments, we find out that it is anything but
easy & usually pretty messy. But it is rewarding. To watch the love of Jesus transform
a soul is amazing, to watch or hear about the power of the Holy Spirit healing is
breathtaking, and to feel your heart finally filled to the brim is rewarding.

To love Jesus usually results in him asking you to step out of your comfort zone. It will
change you and most likely will change the lives of the people around you.

Around a year ago God asked me to step out of my comfort zone; more appropriately
he asked me to step out of my comfortable life.

I was reading the book Kisses from Katie when God started working on and changing
my heart. Katie is an amazing woman who went to Uganda when she was nineteen, fell
in love with the people, and then returned to live there. She has now adopted thirteen
girls, created a ministry, and transformed communities.

I felt him changing my heart towards missions, and started questioning the dreams I had
made for my future life. These dreams were centered around comfort and me. Slowly
and gently I felt him changing the desires of my heart. He was replacing my dreams with
the plans that he has for me. Plans that are better than anything I could’ve ever dreamt
up.

I felt such a draw towards the selfless life of serving others every single day and felt
an intense desire for Africa. Somehow I began to know that Africa was where I was to
belong someday. I don’t know how I knew this; it just felt right.

And then I heard it. He asked me clearer than anything I’ve heard from Him before.
“Will you follow me to Africa and feed my sheep there? No matter how hard it is, will you
follow me?”

I answered with blind faith’s answer, “Yes. I will follow you & feed and care for your
sheep.”

Today, in this moment, I know that it is all for my good. You see, I wasn’t aware before
of all that the core of my soul desires. But He knew, and created a life for me where
those cravings will be fulfilled every single day.

I crave to love people that have never felt love. I desire to teach a child to help them
break the cycle of poverty, if only in their family. I want so badly to care for the orphans
and give them a real family.

And to know that He cares so much about me to place those desires in me and then
give me a life where they will be fulfilled amazes me. I know that right now is not the
time for me to go and create a life somewhere in Africa. I am sure that I will know
without a doubt when it is time.

I am amazed every day that he works to woo our hearts. He cares so much about every
single one of us. He created the universe, but he still cares so much about you. You,
the little minuscule speck on planet Earth. It is amazing.

And here you see again how much he cares for us as individuals. He knows that
because of the work he has done in my heart, I crave so deeply to know the people of
Africa, and to set foot on this land to see everything. And so he opened a door for me to
go on a three week trip to Swaziland, Africa this June.

Here is all to say: listen. Listen and Respond. Respond to the calls that he puts on your
heart. Whether it is something small or if he is asking you to move across the world.
I promise you that they are for your good, and good of the people around you. And
though no one may understand, keep going.

Listen and Respond.