Once again, I'm blown away
by how God works.
Growing up, I'd always
read, repeated, wrote out, and prayed Psalm 37:4-5— Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your
heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
I've always LOVED this
verse (still do), but over the years, time and again I found myself wondering
what it meant to be given the desires of my heart. I feel like it's not really
that complex, but for me, the greatest struggle was understanding the desires
of my heart in relation to a career path. I would grow frustrated, praying this
verse but begging God to simply reveal to me my soul's desires. What did I long
for, yearn for, want to come to fruition in my life?
Over the past couple of
years, I've started putting the pieces together, watching them come full
circle, becoming a tapestry that highlights God's faithfulness, goodness, and
grace over the years, woven together in a beautiful masterpiece.
I realized that the desires of my heart have been there all along, I've only just begun to recognize them
as I'm watching them come to fruition.
For the past few years,
I've felt called to community. I've been drawn to people and forming
relationships. I love practical, relational ministry and simply meeting people
where they are and getting to know their hearts. I believe that the church can
and will impact its communities by going out and meeting people where they're
comfortable, establishing relationships that can lead to growth of all kinds,
for both parties. I'm especially passionate about working with young people,
and have dreamed about being involved in some sort of mentoring program for
high school students, or have an opportunity to walk alongside students as they
grow and learn to understand themselves and figure out "what's next"
after high school. I've always loved writing and have wanted to use that
gifting and passion to speak into or make a difference in the lives of others.
I knew I would love to
incorporate these passions into my career, whatever that may be, but I really
wanted to work in a setting in which this would be my main purpose—walking
alongside people, forming authentic relationships, meeting basic needs, and
getting involved in the community. After graduating and coming back home, I was
stumped as to how to make that possible or what that would even look like.
Getting married and settling down in Small Town, USA, I felt like my options were
limited (but how very wrong I was).
All along, I'd been praying
about potential jobs. I applied to a vast array of positions; some doors
opened; some doors closed; I didn't have peace about the open doors, and I
still wasn't able to put into concrete words what it was I was looking
for. I had this consistent feeling and longing for the right door; an
intangible, foggy cloud seemed to be hovering in front of it, but I knew I'd recognize
it when I saw it.
Then I sat down for lunch
with Bruce and Jocelyn Hamsher.
Although I've been living
local, somehow I'd previously failed to notice this local ministry that's been
doing some big things in our local community. Toward the Goal Ministries is
very community-oriented, seeking to walk alongside and investing in the lives
of others through coaching, mentoring, and servant-leadership training. By
doing so, they seek to create a space for people to experience Christ, and the
hope, encouragement, and ongoing transformation He offers. TTG leads character
development small groups and servant leadership trainings within local
businesses; they're starting up a mentoring program this fall with Garaway High
School (the dream!) in which community volunteers can walk alongside teens and
be an advocate and consistent presence in their lives; they are partnered with
the Tuscarawas County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force and have been taking
action to promote advocacy and professional training in our communities.
This initial lunch meeting
had been arranged for me to learn more about their ministry and what they do
and share my passions and dreams. As I listened to them talk, the passions in
my heart were stirring yet again and I quickly realized that their ministry and
my calling overlap undeniably.
As we stayed in touch
following the meeting, we began exploring the possibility of me joining their
team. They proposed a position in which I would help with the mentoring
program, anti-human trafficking initiatives, and character-development groups,
along with other ministry needs as they come. They also shared with me the need
for ongoing funding as they continue to grow, and that they need someone to
help with research and grant writing for TTG.
But there was a catch.
Because of the nature of their nonprofit organization, which is completely
donor-funded, I would have to raise my own funding to support my position with
Toward the Goal.
I spent some time in
prayer, seeking God for clarity and discernment, and it didn't take to long for
me to recognize the immense peace I'd had all along in regards to TTG. I had
complete support from my husband and family, and in praying, God made it very
clear that this was what He has next for me. I knew that I absolutely was going
to do this. And I am ecstatic.
As I've been getting my
feet wet, I've already been loving every aspect of this ministry. I've gotten
to attend a mentor training for the upcoming school year, and will be getting
to hang out with teenagers soon. I've gotten plugged into a character
development group at a local business and have already experienced growth in my
own life and am so excited to be trained and eventually lead additional groups.
I've gotten to sit down with an amazing team and cast a vision to bring hope,
healing, and awareness with our anti-human trafficking initiatives. It has
already been such a blessing to be a part of this ministry and what God's doing
in our area, and I am so excited for what's ahead.
I ask that if and when you
think of me, you'd pray for me. In the coming months I will be learning and
growing, stepping out of my comfort zone, trying new things, and meeting new people. I will soon be connected
with a teenager that I'll be able to walk alongside, develop a relationship
with, and learn and grow with. Be praying even now for that relationship, for
the relationships that will be formed among other mentors and mentees, and for
possibilities for this program to grow and be transformational in the lives of
area students. You can be praying for our vision and plan to walk alongside
trafficked victims, for doors to open and connections to be made to bring hope
and healing in this realm of darkness. And you can be praying for me as I raise
funds to support my position with TTG.
And if you pray about it
and feel led, I would love for you to become a partner with TTG by financially
supporting me through the organization. Our goal is to raise $2,100/month to
support my position with their ministry. Donors can write a check to Toward the
Goal Ministries, and I will then be paid by TTG (donations are tax
deductible). You can either commit to becoming a monthly supporter or a one-time donor. If you are planning to partner with us, please shoot me an email with
which donor option you would like to pledge.
Growing up, I strongly
disliked fundraising. It meant awkwardly asking people for money, trying to
"sell" people on supporting something, and feeling like a nuisance.
Taking on this new role of becoming a "community missionary" is
scary. But this time my mindset is different. For one thing, I feel confident
that God is going to provide, especially as I've been affirmed by His peace and
Spirit in the pursuit of this journey. And two (most importantly), I am so 100%
on board with TTG and their vision for being Jesus to this community. I could
talk your ear off sharing about how excited I am to be a part of this ministry.
God is doing big things, and I fully believe He will only continue to blow our
socks off with His goodness and faithfulness. I am so thankful to be a part of
it, and part of what excites me is knowing that through your prayers and
support, you too will be blessed to be a part of what God is doing in our
communities. It's such a joy to me to invite others to join TTG and experience
what God is doing here. [for more info on TTG, you can check out their website here]
I will continue to provide
updates through my blog, sharing how God is at work and what He is doing
through TTG. Please feel free to reach out to me and ask if you have any
questions or just want to hear stories of what God is up to in my life. I would
absolutely love to share with you and hear your stories of His faithfulness
too. That's the beauty of Kingdom living. We're all in this together.
One of the cool things
about God is that He sees the big picture. He writes the whole story. Those
passions, dreams, and gifts He’s given you and stirred up in your heart?
There’s a place for that in His Kingdom. Even if we can’t see it now, He’s just
waiting for the perfect time to drop an open door in our lap. When He gives us
the green light, it’s go-time.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give
you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and
he will act.
Psalm 37:4-5
