The Story (my calling)...

One day, when I was 11, I was reading my bible. God showed me this verse in James:

"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
James 1:26-27

Some people may just look over the verse, not really thinking about its meaning. But me, no way. Almost every verse that I read in the bible, I think about. I want to know it's meaning, I want to find it's root. This one stuck out to me like no other. God had given me my calling. This verse, James 1:26-27. This is the basic I have gotten out of it: hold my tongue, care the the orphans and widows, do not be deceived, keep my self from being polluted by the world. God can show you a different meaning to a verse, every time you look at it. Each time I look at this verse, I can apply it to my life so many different ways.

The first time I read this verse, I didn't really know what it meant, but I did know that it had something to do with my life. I read it over and over again. Never getting tired of the words. I thought after a while, I guess I'm going on a mission trip! That sounded so cool, and I was so excited to do what God wanted me to. My Mom, at the time, showed me a blog about this woman named Katie who lived in Uganda, serving the orphans. I read her blog a lot. Then I started reading other things about missionaries. But then, God showed me the eyes. A picture of an Africa orphan, with huge brown eyes, they stared hungrily at me. It was only a picture, but so real. The eyes said "who will love me?" My heart hurt so much, just looking at those eyes.

Then someone in my own life, had that look. I couldn't match it up at the time. I didn't know I was serving an orphan and a widow in my own life, in till we moved. I won't share their story publicly, but the dad left the mom and the son. They were our neighbors. After we moved, I realized that I didn't have to go to a foreign country to serve the orphans. There were people in my own life, all around me that could be considered as orphans. They are hurting inside. We live in a very broken world. A dark place, but we have the light of Jesus inside of us. That's where treasures in jars of clay comes in.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."
2 Corinthians 4:7

We are the jars, the light of Jesus inside of us in the treasures. We all choose daily if we are going to let the light of Jesus shine through us. We all choose daily if we are going to let God work through us. We all choose daily if we are going to be the outlet for God's love to come out of. Love is very important. Does God not tell us over and over that Love is the greatest commandment? Does God not tell us again and again that the motive must be love? God has given me love and compassion. It is out of love and compassion that when I see those eyes, my heart breaks in two. It is out of love and compassion that God has saved us.

God continues to show me things daily. I know I am called to serve with love and compassion.I do believe God is calling me to be a missionary in and out of my country. I wait for him to show me the mission trip he wants me to go one. I wait in faith. But something that God has shown me that is very important, is this:

 I am not just waiting, but serving.

In my own every day life. God always gives me opportunities to show his love to other people. It is up to me to say yes. It is up to me to answer my calling. It is up to you to answer yours.

My daily goal is to let the treasure inside of me shine to the whole world!
I am 12 now, seeking with all my heart, to please my Jesus!