PA takes OH

July 14, 2017

6 months.

6 months ago I took a huge step of faith and moved 400 miles away from my home.

6 months ago I began an incredible journey that I can only describe as God ordained, faith-filled, and breath taking. It has been crazy, wonderful, stressful, exciting, amazing, growing, and perfect. It hasn't been perfect because nothing has gone wrong but because I am here because God called me and I know that his plans and purposes are far greater than mine.

Here's a summary of the last 6 months.

July 14th began a love-hate relationship with my beloved car, Leia. My parents were traveling with me to help me move when 15 miles from my newfound home, my car decided to eject a spark plug. Then it almost happened again two months later. Then my belt broke twice, my AC compressor busted, and the seal on my sunroof is going.

But you see, this saga of car trouble isn't a bad thing. In fact it's quite amazing because every single time, God came through. He was with me through every malfunction and broken part. He gave me friends here, specifically one, who so freely and joyfully helped with repairs and finding parts. He gave me opportunities to trust in him with paying for repairs, with managing anxiety, and everything in between. God using stressful things like this for good - to show that He there and ready and willing to step in and help us.

July 14th also began my role as the Legacy Kids Preschool Leader at Legacy Church. In just 6 months God has already taught me so much about myself, these kids, ministry, and so much more. While writing lessons and prepping activities I find Him whispering to me the things I greatly needed to here at that time.

I remember one lesson specifically that hit me. It was back in October. I was laying on the couch typing up the lesson about how Jesus calmed the sea. I typed this sentence and just stopped.

They didn’t believe that God was going to take care of them in the storm, so they woke up Jesus to make the storm go away.

It made me realize that maybe we need to stop praying the storm away and trust that God is holding us in his hand in the midst of the storm. Sometimes it helps to here things in "kid language" so that we can take to heart what God is trying to say to us - to help us hear him clearly. And that is just one reason why I love my job so much.

Actually, I love both jobs. During the day I teach preschool at Columbus Early Learning Centers in downtown Columbus. We are an early headstart/headstart non-profit center that does everything in it's power to provide services for the kids and their families. We fight to give our kids the best education before they head to kindergarten. We feed their minds, but we also feed their hearts. We let them be kids, we teach them that it's okay to be angry but the right way to deal with it, and we teach them what it means to be a kind friend.

I get to show them the love of Jesus every day, and I couldn't be happier. While it is stressful, crazy, exhausting, and full of hurt for these kids and what they deal with, I am so blessed that God chose this place for me to be.

A year and a half ago I felt God nudging me to move to Ohio. Did I listen? No. I wanted to focus on school, my job, and my family and friends. But really, I wanted to focus on me. I wasn't ready for what He had in store for me. I spent my senior year of college ignoring the quiet nudges He was giving me because I was so caught up in what I was doing. I wasn't focused on what He wanted for me.

Then one day last February it just hit me. I whispered to myself, "I'm moving to Ohio". I graduated college on May 14th, and just 2 short months later I was on the road to my new home.

And now 6 months later I am in awe of all that God has done in me, Legacy Church, and Legacy Kids.

I can't wait to see what He has in store for these next 6 months.

Much love + blessings,

Becky