To A Special Friend

Deeply thankful for this sweet friendship in my life.

Chloe,

Thank you for being a constant source of encouragement and joy to me everyday. I love the laughter we share together, and I love the deep conversations as well. I know that I can always count on you, and I value your insight and wisdom more than anything. I am going to miss you terribly, and I hate that we will no longer be able to have our wonderful date days full of books, blogging, coffee, and licorice wheels, but we’ll just have to improvise with electronic “lunch dates” (which are always going to be the highlight of my week.) I cannot wait to walk alongside you on this adventure, and I pray that one day we will be able to adventure alongside one another. We are two hearts with one beat, and not even two different continents will separate us. I am always here for you and you are always in my prayers. I love you and am so proud of the way you follow Jesus. Your faith is inspiring. God has gifted you with an ability to love and feel deeper than the average person, a gift that will serve you well as you attempt to walk alongside a broken people who are in dire need of someone to bring light into their lives. You carry that light, Chlo, and they are going to see it in all that you do. Hold those babies gently, hug those broken-hearted women tightly, and relish the joy of holding the hand of an orphan who is a prince or princess of our Savior.  Breathe in the life that is in air of Africa, the life that our God created to bring Him joy. Savor every moment spent with those people, and work hard so that when you go to bed at night, you are peacefully exhausted from fulfilling God’s will.

There will be hard days for sure, but this life was never promised to be easy, and you know that. Taking “the road less traveled” like Christ has called you to do is going to result in some struggles. But “Count it all joy, my sister, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Do not lose heart even when things are hard, and know that you are never alone. You are following God’s call: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27)

God will build you up when you are lowly in spirit:

And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people’s way.” For thus, says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, who name is Holy; “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57: 14-15)

And God has asked this of you. I truly believe God is going to raise up generations in these African nations that will glorify Him if we are faithful in following His calling:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion – to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.” (Isaiah 61: 1-4)

I love you, Chlo, so very much. Keep running hard after Jesus.

Your sister in Christ,

Megan