Rest Easy

"You better rest while you're there" she said giving me a big hug as I said goodbye the night before I headed home. She said this sternly but with all the love in the world and I felt it. On the one side I didn't want to go home, I knew there were things to be done and by the time I returned we were hoping that over half of the kids in the children's home would be with their forever families and I would miss meeting their families and saying goodbye and what if school started?! I was so tempted to change my flight so I could meet one of the parents that was flying in the day I left and we would miss each other by a couple hours. I struggled with this but I felt His hand on me telling me that I needed to go home now for a short time so that I could stay for a longer time. And so I boarded the plane with half my heart left in Haiti but knowing this was His plan and having my mind set to enjoy my time and to rest so I could come back.

Part of resting meant: healing and healing meant: medicine and medicine meant: a trip to the doctors office.  So, I went to our family Dr. to get some blood work done... my favorite. I don't like hospitals or doctors offices, if I'm being completely honest, the thought of them makes me nauseous and having to spend any time in them just doesn't sit well with me. It's not like I've had horrible experiences or anything... it's kind of like peoples fear for the dentist. I've never been afraid of the dentist but doctors is another story. However, my mom and I walked in with the comfort of a warm starbucks in hand and took a seat. It was not a good C-virus day and me not wanting to be there didn't help with anything either. When our doctor came in and began talking, her words were "... she looks like she went through some rough stuff, the light thats normally in her eyes isn't, it isn't there and that worries me." it took me back hearing this; was it really that noticeable or that bad?! Yes, I felt bad but it wasn't... that bad surely!

I told her that I was only staying a month and she began talking to me about how she felt it would be wise to take another month off, how the poor will always be with us, that going back at 50% I will decrease faster than if I waited to go back till I was 100%, she continued talking about how Jesus rested and it took everything not to start bawling as she spoke these words to me. I knew she was speaking truth but I didn't want to believe it. Yes, I wasn't as 100% but it wasn't that bad and I would be ready to go in a month.

But when the test results came back and my thyroid levels were not where they should be my dr put me on medicine that would last 4 weeks and I would need to be checked once the medicine was gone to make sure the dosage was right; my flight was scheduled to leave in two weeks.

I choked up as I spoke in front of my church; when my Pastor asked me to tell them why I wanted to go back and how Haiti had captured my heart.

I started to cry as I put together a powerpoint to show at a fundraiser dinner I had and I put off writing a speech till a couple days before. My heart ached as all the sweet little faces popped up one right after the other, their little voices calling my head and I wanted nothing more than to be there with them. I wrote a speech, knowing that I would just cry if I didn't have a something set (though I didn't follow it to the letter) and it would be a good distraction.

I was not happy. I was angry.

Not angry at God, my doctor, family, friends or even complete strangers; though I think they all might have felt that I was and an angry outburst or two probably didn't help with their feelings but I was angry with myself. All the stress,  culture shock, worries and aches bubbled over and were misdirected.

And so I basically ran, ran away from it all to find myself sobbing to a dear friend on a mission campus in Oklahoma City and that's where He found me and I found.... me.

There are 2 things I've done for as long as I can remember:
     #1. Pushed myself through things. Thinking "it's not that bad" and "I can do this!" or the fact that "there are other people worse off than I am and doing way more things than I am"
     #2. Beat myself up when I mess something up no matter how little it is.

One of my best friends taught me a long time ago that there are always 2 perspectives: yours and the other persons and that I should to try and look through both perspectives and then apply to God's word before doing anything rash. Well tried to teach me would be a better description as I usually ended up just kicking myself about it.

I've believed a lot of lies about myself growing up. Not necessarily lies that people fed or told me but ones that I gathered or took the wrong way. And these weighed on me; I thought and saw the best in people but the worst in myself.

But, God has helped me begin to untangle this web, piece by piece through: His word and countless people showing and telling me that taking care of myself is not selfish and is critical when you're working in and for God's Kingdom (which should be wherever you are in life)

I never saw myself as enough or believed that I was enough. I knew what God said, I knew that without Him we aren't enough, I knew I had Him, I knew other people were enough but for some reason I was excluded in my head. I encouraged and built other people up but tore myself down. Have you ever been told to "drink your own medicine" or to "listen to your own advice" or something along those lines? Well; I needed to be told that and God gave me four incredible friends in Haiti, the wonderful mom of my Haiti family and the house mama of the childrens home to tell and show me that I was a precious in God's eyes. Each in their own way sat me down and spoke truth into me and I cannot thank them all enough but I do say a very heartfelt thank you to: My Haiti mamas, good cop, bad cop, captain awesome and my canadian "mother" for everything they have said and done for me.

I'm still a work in progress. I'm still needing healing and rest (and I still feel like a lazy lump) but little by little I'm understanding more and being changed a little more to the beautiful masterpiece that He created me to be.

There was a song that I took to Haiti and I forgot about during the summer. Music has always played a big role in my life through dance, playing instruments and singing. And this song I feel God speaking to me and it is written by one of my favorite singer/songwriters: Andrew Peterson. The chorus is:

You don't have to work so hard
You can rest easy
You don’t have to prove yourself
You’re already mine
You don’t have to hide your heart
I already love you
I hold it in mine
So you can rest easy

God says this about each and every single one of us. I write this with not only myself in mind but several missionary families and people that I know are breaking their backs and feeling beaten and lost. It's ok to rest in His arms for as long as it takes. 

He loves you.
He delights in you.
He sings over you! 

Yes! Isn't that such a comforting thought?! In the end it's you and Him not everyone you've ever met judging you, but you're loving Savior. If you need to rest then rest and rest easy however hard it may be or seem God wants you to rest and be at the fullest of your abilities. So together lets rest easy in Him though we see the work ahead and yearn to do it; rest because He knows your heart and has seen your work and is not judging or angry with you. This is not a punishment; but a gift.

Mind Like a Shutter Eyes Like a Lens

I'm a photographer; I've been playing with my parents' camera for as long as I can remember though I didn't always have permission and the pictures were not the highest quality. I've always loved capturing moments that I can go back to at any given moment and remember and laugh or cry. I remember fighting with my siblings for the camera whenever we went on trips or had a big event; I wanted so badly to remember things a certain way - for people to see my perspective and my story. But as I've grown, I've found that I like telling other people's stories through photography more than my own. I want to capture the moments that no one else sees, I want to capture moments where I know God is smiling down on His children and they are unaware of this fact because they can't see for themselves the beauty of their own hands, feet and mouth.

It's easy to forget that God uses the tiniest things for His glory and that everything we do, for Him, is a part of building His kingdom here on earth. God everywhere and in everything though sometimes we forget it doesn't change the fact that He is still there and sees the tiniest acts of love in His name.

I understand when people ask me to take a picture of them doing something or with someone but I'd much rather catch that moment where that volunteer is tying that pair of tennis shoes that just won't seem to stay tied. That moment at the end of the day when though a nap is all they desire, they chase a child around the yard just to hear the sound of their laughter. I want to capture that tickle fight or the excitement when a child walks through the gate and sees their beloved teacher or helper. When though it's painful for both involved, a wound is cleaned to prevent infection.

To capture the love in a healing touch, the warmth of a hug, the joy of a friend, wonder of something new, laughter in hard circumstances, peace in chaos, strength in weakness, self-control during a storm, a small act of kindness with a large result, finding the good amongst the bad, the faithful one that is content with working behind the scenes, a gentle reminder to a struggling child and happiness in the smallest things. That is what I want to capture.

One of my favorite quotes is: "Beautiful things don't ask for attention" - Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Why am I writing all of this? Well, while photography is one of my passions, it enables me to show Gods power to others, to show His love gleaming in the little moments here in Haiti with just a snap of a shutter. But in order to send these pictures to you, I have to have a laptop. I left for Haiti in January with a laptop that wasn't in mint condition but I expected to get many years out of it. Unfortunately, there was an accident at the beginning of the summer and my laptop was damaged but by the grace of God, I was able to use it for the rest of the summer and share pictures and updates with all of you from it. But sadly, my computer has finally died & so I am without a laptop and therefore without a means to share.

I have set up a GoFundMe site for a new laptop. It seems like such a silly thing to ask for but I feel led to write this and to watch and see what God has in store. To donate visit: http://www.gofundme.com/amacforher

Thank you all for taking the time to read this and for prayerfully consider donating. $1,000 seems like a huge amount, but that doesn't stop God and I always find it easier when things are broken down: If 50 people give $20 we've met our goal!!!

Thank you again and I hope to be sharing photos with you again very soon!

P.S if you're new to my blog or my photography you can check out my photos here: H.e.r Photography