"Be Still and Know"

First of all, I apologize ahead of time if this post is rather incoherent at parts and if it jumps around a bunch, I am physically exhausted as I write this and it is 12:20 a.m., but it is the first time in about 4 days I've had an opportunity to get on the internet, and I just had to snag it while I had the small window of opportunity. Ok, with that out of the way, here I go!

I feel like I can't say this enough -- I LOVE every moment that I am here in Zambia. That doesn't mean that there aren't hard moments, but it does mean that I am able to find purpose and reason behind every little thing I do in my day here. I go to bed completely exhausted and 100% content at the end of everyday because I know that I have spent my time during the day well. I once had a wise teacher tell me that in life, you need to find a job that combines what you love with what you are good at, and let me tell you, that is the wisest advice I have ever heard and that is what I feel like I have found. My strengths perfectly match what I spend my days doing, and I am so passionate about these orphans that I LOVE what I do. It's a recipe for success, and I believe that God wants us all to live a life that is a "recipe for success." 

So continuing on that tangent, while I love my days here and I love being swarmed with adorable little African children, I will say that I have learned that I need a little bit of alone time every day in order to function at full capacity. That alone time for me is my daily run. God has wired me to need to run as my outlet; it helps me clear my head and sort through my emotions. It is my time to talk to God, and I need my God time for sure! Anyways, my favorite time of the day in Zambia is the sunset because, trust me, you have NEVER seen anything more beautiful than a Zambian sunset. It's when God paints the sky, and He is kind enough to allow us to watch Him paint His masterpiece everyday and yet so often we don't take the time to stop and just admire our Creator's work. There is this one back corner of the village where the hill dips downward so the wall on that side of it is lower and allows you to see the sunset clearly. And today, I couldn't help but stop and gape at the beauty of the sky. I had a dear friend of mine encourage me before I left to take time to just be still while I was in Zambia, and right when I stopped running and just stood staring into the horizon, that old song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Be Still and Know" came on my iPod. I don't know if I consider that ironic or if God completely meant for that to happen...I think I'll go with the latter though! It was a solid five minutes of me being able to "Be Still and Know" that God is mighty, loving, kind, merciful...on and on the list could go. I was enraptured in the beauty of the Lord's painting that was before my eyes, and I know that God ordained those five minutes for me today to be reminded that He is the giver of rest and the only one who fills me up when I need to be filled up. I am able to pour out everyday because the Lord makes my cup overflow with joy constantly here, and He gives me rest when I need it and knows exactly how to fortify my heart. He allows me to have time to just "Be Still and Know," and what a blessing from my King!