I Can Do All This Through Him Who Gives Me Strength

Very soon, I will be kicking up the dust of Kenya’s streets for the last time, cat cage in hand, and strapping myself to the wings of a big bird.  Through spacious skies, I will cross sundry amber waves of grain, span purple mountain majesties, and traverse innumerable fruited plains, and finally return on the sturdy ground of the Land of the Free, where the rich soil of Kenya remaining on the soles of my shoes will be covered and washed away with the pure white snow, which will coat this new, yet familiar place that I call home.

Looking back at my time spent in Kenya, I feel an ache of sadness in the depths of my soul because I know that this is the end.  A sense of longing to stay here and to continue unfinished business occludes my heart and constricts my lungs.  However, I have come to realize that just because I’m leaving Kenya does not mean this journey has ended.  In fact, I’m realizing that this excursion was only a small part of my true journey—that is, my journey towards Christ.  As I step foot back on American soil (or snow—which ever decides to greet me), I know that God is still calling me to do work there.  I want to express that I’m not trying to say that God has called ME in particular to do His work; I really just want to get everyone to start thinking, and realizing that their journey is so significant to God and we all really can change lives in the seemingly mundane daily activities of our lives.  In fact, I don’t think the distance you travel to spread God’s love really matters that much.  As much as it seems to a lot of people that the significant part of my journey was travelling to an underdeveloped African country, oceans away from home, I think that the real crux of the journey was spreading God’s love through kindness and compassion.  I’ve learned that we don’t have to travel to an undeveloped country to God’s work because there is a strong need for His love everywhere we go.  Whether you work as a preacher, gas station attendant, waiter, writer, or nurse, you do make a significant impact on the people you interact with on a daily basis, and that impact can either bring people closer to God (planting seeds of love in their hearts) or steer them in the opposite direction.  Thus, I’m coming back to my homeland with a spring in my step, knowing that I get the opportunity to do God’s work wherever I place my feet.