If I'm being honest with myself,
I look at my life and think
"This isn't what I expected!"
And I fret and I worry and I fear.
If I pause and look back on my life I see,
"That isn't how I expected it to be!"
No, in fact it was so much better
than I planned, dreamed and expected.
So why do I fret, worry and fear over the future?
The one who knows my hearts'
deepest desires will reveal to me
His perfect plan in His perfect time.
I took this top picture on January 11, 2014. I was flipping through a magazine when the two page spread of the elephant popped out at me. I shared this picture with some friends, saying, "Wow! Wouldn't this be an awesome place to go!? I would love to see this!" I have this innate desire to travel and see the beauty of the world God made. So, of course I wanted to see an elephant in it's natural habit! As the days and then weeks passed, I forgot about this picture.
Late spring I had a conversation with another friend about pursuing my dreams and fulfilling the longings God has placed in my heart. I admitted that I wasn't fully pursuing the passions and desires God had given me. My friend told me to write down the dreams I have, the things I want to do during my lifetime. I went home that night and spent some time making a long list of the dreams I have. Among other things I wrote, "Visit a country other than Haiti (in the next 3 years)" I closed the book and didn't think about this.
Mid-summer I came across a facebook post about a potential trip to Africa. I thought about going to Africa and then dismissed the thought. A little while later I saw another post that the trip to Africa was happening. I thought about the trip for a few weeks. I tried to dismiss the thoughts but when I couldn't get them out of my head, I knew it was a God thing. I committed to going to Africa, knowing next to nothing about Africa, the organization I was going with, or the team I would be traveling with.
You see, from the time I was a little girl I had a desire to go to Africa. I can not explain where the desire came from, cause like I mentioned, I knew nothing about that country. It had to have come from God. That longing would come to my mind at random times. When asked what countries I wanted to visit Africa was always at the top of the list. I wanted to go to Africa during my lifetime but I didn't care when.
On December 30th, while on a safari in Kenya, I took the bottom picture of the elephant. ...WHOA!! How similar the pictures are!! I recently stumbled upon the top photo again, not having thought about my wish to see the elephant since January. What a crazy reminder that God fulfills the dreams of my heart! God wants to fulfill my desires. When I forget the desires of my heart, God remembers.
However, as the scripture says,
"What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen,
is the very thing God prepared for those who love him." ~1 Cor. 2:9
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
~Psalm 37:4
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