TOMS.

“You look like one of those kids in the commercials” he said. Referring to the raggedy old TOMS shoes I was wearing at work. That comment made my heart happy. Even though I knew he was talking about the orphaned, less-fortunate kids that TOMS provides shoes for, I was still overwhelmed with joy. Orphaned, less-fortunate kids are my calling. Maybe not at this moment, in my life right now, but someday {YES}. I absolutely LOVE those little kids you see on the cover of your TOMS box of shoes. On the stickers they provide you with when you purchase a pair of TOMS. My heart breaks every single time. I fight back tears when I see their smiling faces. I wonder when the Lord is going to send me out into the crazy world to love on the people that have “raggedy” {or no} shoes like mine. I want to be one of those kids – or at least their friend. I want to run around with them barefoot, play soccer on the hard ground, & get thorns in my feet. I want to suffer through their trials and pain – because I do not deserve everything I have. Especially all God’s love He gives to me. I mess up, sin, hurt God - & still He loves me so incredibly much. That’s what I want those kids to see in me. I want them to see Jesus Christ & all He has to offer us.

I have always wanted to go to Africa {or any third world country for that matter}. I want to go there and see what it’s like because I know it is a {COMPLETELY} different world than mine here. They seem so loving and welcoming. Everyone thinks it is the country that has nothing – when in reality they {have it all}. They have all they need to survive. Maybe not every day but they will fight their battles. I believe God never gives us more than we can handle. And that makes me feel selfish when I see poverty, orphans, the poor & sick. Means they are stronger than me – means I am weak.

So there are the shoes. Raggedy & torn. Holes in the toes. Not the typical pair of shoes the American will wear. But I will wear them proudly & represent those kids that would do anything for this pair of shoes. And I will represent The Lord and all that He has done for me. I am so ready for a trip around the world to see all that I am missing – because I know there is a lot. I can only keep praying Isaiah 6:8 when The Lord asks, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” I will have the same reply, “Here am I, send me!”And I will go with my whole heart. Loving and cherishing every moment of it.

Life is a journey.

One of my friends recently told me “life is a journey Em”. I have heard that time and time again and never really thought about it until today. As I was walking along a leaf covered path & the brisk wind blew wickedly in my face. I started thinking about my life and if I have lived it to the fullest. If I have done everything I wanted to do up to this point. Obviously not. Who has? We all wish we could go back and change something about our lives. Might be something small or could be something major. Either way we have all been down a path that only we can understand.

We have all had heart breaks that we thought would last a lifetime, but eventually healed {because time heals everything right?} We have all had those incredible victories that we never wanted to end but of course they had to. We have cried many tears of joy and sadness. We have seen the hurting and we have been the hurting. We have traveled to places and seen a small glimpse of the beauty that awaits us in heaven.

We have been on this journey for many a days now. Some days we question if we are in the right profession, church, relationship, or even city. We will never know the answer to that. We will keep second guessing that maybe there is something better out there for us. Maybe we could make more money to have a nicer car & clothes. Maybe we would have more friends if we lived a different lifestyle. Why are we always thinking about ourselves and what we need to make this a better life? Our main focus should be on others. What others needs are and what they might need in order to have a good life.

I love people that come to me hurting and broken. That need someone to listen to their story and what they are going through. It never feels good to be the broken and hurt but it feels good to have that one person who is always there for you. That’s what I aim to be. I want everyone to feel comfortable with me - I want them to be able to tell me whatever is on their mind. It always feels good to vent to someone & have someone listen to you :: so why not be that for someone else?

As a Christ follower I believe it is my job to look out for others and let them see God’s love through me. Some days it is hard. We all have tough days and have a broken spirit ourselves. But those are the days that we have to remember God’s promise in {Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted & saves those who are crushed in spirit.”} He will never leave us. Other people in our lives will abandon us and leave us broken but God never will. Prayer is one of the best things you can do. It is so easy and will genuinely make you feel better. You might not get the results you want at that exact moment {or ever}. But one thing is for sure that God will always equip you with what you need to get through this life. He never makes you go a day without everything you need.

Let these promises live through your heart and lives today & every day. The Lord loves you and is {ALWAYS} close to you no matter the circumstances.