God Chose YOU!

Ephesians 1:4
"Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us..."

I want you to just repeat that verse, and really let it sink into your heart that before the world was created God CHOSE YOU! How awesome is that?! Before God spoke and said "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3) He chose each one of us to carry out His plan! While He was speaking to Abraham, Moses, and all the prophets and disciples from the Bible, He was planning our future! WOW!!

Before I was ever even thought about, God chose me! I still am in awe that He chose me to be His hands and feet here in Haiti! But what blows my mind is to think that way before I was even born, He KNEW that at 20 years old, I would choose to come to Haiti for 8 weeks!

We taught the moms and kids this lesson today. We started off by letting them "choose" a piece of candy. We asked why they chose it, and they replied because they love it. So just like they chose their favorite piece of candy, God chose each of them because He loves them!

We also tied in Jeremiah 29:11 where the Lord says, "For I know the plans I have for you...They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." God chose us to carry out His plan, but sometimes we like to do our own thing and not listen. So we explained how to listen for God's guidance. We can hear Him through reading His Word, praying, and being still in His Presence. There are many ways to hear God's voice, but those are just a few. We gave an example of how we should follow the Lord. With the kids we said what if you wanted to be a teacher, but God's plan was for you to be a doctor. What should you do? Their response was that you should be a doctor because that is what God desires for you! We asked one of the younger moms that same question, and the same reply was given. But also with the moms, we said what if your child wants to be a missionary in Africa, but you want him or her to be a doctor. The right choice would be send them on the mission field. However, a lot of times that is a lot easier said than done. Thank the Lord for His patience with us!

Some of you are doing what God has called you to do. But, there are some who do not know what God is calling them to or they are trying to follow their own path, but rest assured that it is never too late to follow His plan for your life! Seek Him and His Word, and He will make your paths straight!
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."

Blessings and Love!
Ashley

Remember He CHOSE YOU!!! He loves you too much to leave you where you are, and I am so thankful He did not give up on me when I turned down opportunities to go on missions before!