Tomorrow Sunday I board on the bus to Chicago, and get ready for a heavy orientation starting Monday to begin the uncomfortable, yet needed student teaching phase on Thursday. :)
I thank God for taking all anxiety away; after all, he does promise to do that when you surrender it to Him. One of the ways He has given me peace has been by reminding me of His faithfulness to one of the girls I got really close to in India at Sarah's home to encourage me - her blog name is Rachel. Let me tell you a little about her:
Rachel is one of the eleven girls in the apartment for the school girls (which is where I got to stay with). She gave as many kisses as I had ever received in two weeks. She is too cunning and smart for her own good, and her smile is oh so contagious. Although she challenged my patience a couple time, she stole my heart. I am sure she would steal your heart if you met her and would see her smile (pictures don't quite capture it). She, my friends, is a testimony of God's power through weaknesses.
Rachel has neurofibromatosis-1. This is how Sarah explains it in the blog (Sarah's Covenant Home -Rachel):
It affects people in different ways--some have tumors throughout their body, and others like Rachel have what's called pseudoarthrosis of the tibia. Pseudoarthrosis means "fake joint"--it's when the affected bone breaks and will not heal, creating a kind of joint where one shouldn't be. Rachel's tibia broke when she was an infant, and she was placed in an orphanage either before or after the fracture. Throughout her first seven years, she underwent 5-7 surgical attempts to fix her broken tibia in a government-run hospital.
When she came to the home in 2009, Sarah took her to different surgeons and doctors to see her leg and find a solution that would allow her to be like any other nine year old: dance, run, walk. All doctors recommended an amputation, which would require another surgery. But after lots of prayer and more doctor visits, an "orthotic-prosthetic" that would "encompass the residual limb," have a foot for walking below that, was proposed. This would allow Rachel's weight to be borne by the area just above her knee. Rachel was excited at the idea of not having another surgery, and being able to walk soon!
She eventually got the prosthetic leg, and is now walking everywhere, going up and down the stairs in the apartment, going down slides. Her leg is no longer in the way for her to fully live the life God wants her to live. She is joyfully being a child of God. And I had the privilege to see this in action, and even better to love, hug, kiss her; and likewise by her.
This is how this connects to me currently. God has been putting in my heart over and over again this week 2 Corinthians 12:10:
Coming into this adventure in Chicago, I want to walk, run, go up stairs and hills by the strength of the Holy Spirit ONLY. Rachel never gave up, and still doesn't. Her leg is not in the way of what God intends her to do. God has provided a prosthetic leg. . .He has made Rachel strong in her weakness. Likewise, God will faithfully make me strong in my many weaknesses. Wow that is amazing!!! Because of this truth, I am ready to start Chicago and student teaching. Bring it on! :)
I thank God for taking all anxiety away; after all, he does promise to do that when you surrender it to Him. One of the ways He has given me peace has been by reminding me of His faithfulness to one of the girls I got really close to in India at Sarah's home to encourage me - her blog name is Rachel. Let me tell you a little about her:
Rachel is one of the eleven girls in the apartment for the school girls (which is where I got to stay with). She gave as many kisses as I had ever received in two weeks. She is too cunning and smart for her own good, and her smile is oh so contagious. Although she challenged my patience a couple time, she stole my heart. I am sure she would steal your heart if you met her and would see her smile (pictures don't quite capture it). She, my friends, is a testimony of God's power through weaknesses.
Rachel has neurofibromatosis-1. This is how Sarah explains it in the blog (Sarah's Covenant Home -Rachel):
It affects people in different ways--some have tumors throughout their body, and others like Rachel have what's called pseudoarthrosis of the tibia. Pseudoarthrosis means "fake joint"--it's when the affected bone breaks and will not heal, creating a kind of joint where one shouldn't be. Rachel's tibia broke when she was an infant, and she was placed in an orphanage either before or after the fracture. Throughout her first seven years, she underwent 5-7 surgical attempts to fix her broken tibia in a government-run hospital.
 |
| these are her legs; her right leg is shorter than the other. |
When she came to the home in 2009, Sarah took her to different surgeons and doctors to see her leg and find a solution that would allow her to be like any other nine year old: dance, run, walk. All doctors recommended an amputation, which would require another surgery. But after lots of prayer and more doctor visits, an "orthotic-prosthetic" that would "encompass the residual limb," have a foot for walking below that, was proposed. This would allow Rachel's weight to be borne by the area just above her knee. Rachel was excited at the idea of not having another surgery, and being able to walk soon!
She eventually got the prosthetic leg, and is now walking everywhere, going up and down the stairs in the apartment, going down slides. Her leg is no longer in the way for her to fully live the life God wants her to live. She is joyfully being a child of God. And I had the privilege to see this in action, and even better to love, hug, kiss her; and likewise by her.
This is how this connects to me currently. God has been putting in my heart over and over again this week 2 Corinthians 12:10:
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Coming into this adventure in Chicago, I want to walk, run, go up stairs and hills by the strength of the Holy Spirit ONLY. Rachel never gave up, and still doesn't. Her leg is not in the way of what God intends her to do. God has provided a prosthetic leg. . .He has made Rachel strong in her weakness. Likewise, God will faithfully make me strong in my many weaknesses. Wow that is amazing!!! Because of this truth, I am ready to start Chicago and student teaching. Bring it on! :)
beautiful, Wendy.
ReplyDelete