As a youth director, I often notice that whatever I am speaking on becomes a deep part of my life. Currently, my eyes are being reopened to Kingdom living as we study the Beatitudes. It's not about me as an individual, but about us as the body of Christ.
One of my favorite quotes about the Kingdom comes from Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries
I love this quote because it is a reminder that the Kingdom is all around us. Every moment is holy, if we'll be aware of God's work in it.
Anyways, all of this "Kingdom Living" has reminded me of why I am running for Team world vision again in the first place. It's to bring water and health to the world, to change lives, and to see God at work. Currently, I am seeing God work in my life through this.
There is a 13 year old girl from our church that wants to run for Team World Vision. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was 13. She started training and working hard for this goal, but needs someone to join her. After much prayer and talking with her and her mom, I got really excited about joining her on her journey and being with her as she finishes her first half marathon. Because of that, I have decided that I am not going to run the full marathon this year. Instead, I'm going to be a part of this Kingdom experience and run with her, finish with her, rejoice with her. I'm really excited about this!
I know this was my year to "make up for last year" but again...It's not about me. It's about the Kingdom. And running with this girl is going to mean so much more to the Kingdom than my training alone would. Together, we are setting out to raise awareness for those who do not have clean water. We are running to raise money through Team World Vision to bring clean water and sustainable water resources to the world, especially to Africa where the other half of my heart is. It's not about me, it's about the Kingdom.
Run for water, run for life. Run for joy, run for Jesus! This isn't about me, but it's about something greater, and I am excited to see God at work!
Thank you to all of those who have donated to Team World Vision. $50 gives a child clean water for life. It doesn't stop there. It also allows them to go back to school instead of walking 3-7 miles a day to get water that is dirty. It gives them health, as they are able to drink, eat, and wash with clean water. It is sustainable, so it will be there for their families and future families. It's a part of the Kingdom experience. One little donation goes a long way and saves more lives than we will ever know. If you would like to make a donation please go to
http://www.teamworldvision.org/participant/carlypowne
Thank you!
Carly
