I have been in Los Angeles for three days now and I already love it here. Our campus honestly feels like an oasis in the middle of the desert. Our team has already become a family, praying for and loving one another as we start to become more vulnerable and open with each other. As thankful as I am to be here, I have to admit that up until the day I left to come here, I was plagued by the doubt that God wasn't going to speak to me during my time here, that He wouldn't even show up after I had just taken a huge leap of faith by quitting my job to come here. But God saw my fear. He saw the lies Satan was feeding me and He was on a mission to prove them wrong. What I'm about to share is still so hard to believe, but I could not have started this trip off any better. As I stood in line waiting to board the plane, I desperately felt the need to pray. I normally wouldn't pray before getting on a flight, because I usually have an assigned seat. But Saturday morning I stood in line having a quick conversation with the Lord asking that He lead me to where I was supposed to sit, that He would bless the conversation I would have with the person, and that I would be given the opportunity to talk about my trip to raise awareness for the issue of human trafficking. I doubted my prayer as soon as I got on the plane, wondering if God would even listen to a prayer that was so informal and not elegant. (See what I mean about all the lies I was believing?)
About halfway down the plane I saw an open window seat next to a couple maybe a few years below my parents age. I asked if I could sit there and, as I sat down, we greeted each other warmly. Something inside me knew this was the right place. About a half hour into the flight, she broke the ice and asked if I was 23. I told her I was 22 but was turning 23 in just a couple months. She chuckled a bit and told me that she figured as much, because lately she had found herself sitting next to 23 year old Christian girls on all of the flights she had been on. She then asked if I was Christian and I, of course, answered that I was, explaining to her that I was heading to Los Angeles to attend YWAM to fight human trafficking. She was immediately intrigued and asked me more about it. It turned out that she volunteers with a ministry that sews quilts for survivors of human trafficking. She then asked how I was funding my trip, to which I responded that I had an online fundraiser going that was attached to my blog. She was excited and asked for my information so she could read it. After we swapped information, she then proceeded to tell me something I could hardly believe at first. She told me that the night before, she was up a few times and realized she hadn't given her tithe for the week yet because she didn't know where to give it. She prayed to God asking Him to show her where to give her tithe and then said that she felt the Lord telling her to give her tithe toward my trip. My eyes immediately started to swell with tears. I was amazed by this woman's heart for human trafficking and for her extreme generosity. I was so thankful and greatly blessed. Never did I think I would meet such an incredible person by chance on a short connecting flight. It still gives me chills when I think about what happened because God so clearly brought us together. I can say without doubt that He listened to my childlike prayer. To tell you that God is faithful is an understatement. He is faithful beyond our expectations and we can trust that when we take the next step in our relationship with Him, He will show up, He will bless us, and He will take care of us. PS. In case you were wondering, here's a little taste of the place I now get to call home for the next three months and a look at the beautiful people I've already grown to love.
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December 2016
AuthorTara | 22 | Gordon College '15 Categories |