His Plan is Far Better Than Ours

What If God wanted you to do something that you said you would never do? How many times can you think of that you told someone, “Oh I will never do that!” or “I will never become that!” I have learned from personal experience that this is one thing that you shouldn’t do. Someone told me a few years ago that if I wanted to make God laugh I should tell Him my plans. Let me put it this way…If you want to make God laugh tell Him what you will never do. Here’s my story of my “I’ll never do that!” and God saying, “This is the position that I have for you.”

When we are younger and people ask us what we want to be when we grow up usually people pick the profession that their parents are. I always said I wanted to be a teacher and I played school everyday. That was until I got older and saw how much my mom went through. My mom is a Special Education teacher, one of the best if you ask me. My mom works very hard everyday and most weekends. One would say well she only works Monday through Friday but little do they know how much actually goes on behind the scenes. It’s more than just standing in front of a classroom and teaching a simple lesson. There is planning upon planning, grading upon grading, and paper work upon paper work to give their students the best education that they possibly can. I have watched my mom work most nights and weekends for many years, almost my whole life. I never understood why she just kept working and working. I decided I didn’t want to be a teacher after watching her and my sister-in-law work all the time.

So instead of becoming a teacher I became a missionary. I went to school and double majored in Bible and Intercultural studies. After graduation I came on the mission field, just a few months ago. I was so excited to dig into the work that the Lord wanted me to do. I knew that involved children and humanitarian work. But little did I know what He really had in store for me. The second week I was here I was sitting in our office at the mission and the director of the Bilingual school turned and looked at me and said, “Hey, How would you feel about teaching kindergarten?” I immediately asked her to repeat her question. Sitting in shock I just looked at her. Everything I said I wasn’t going to do was now being presented to me. I said, “Um…Maybe…Let me pray about it.” So I did. I prayed diligently. A few days later I went back to her and said, “Yes! I will teach kindergarten.”

Here I sit typing this blog and I have just finished my fifth week of teaching kindergarten. I love it! I honestly do. Yes, it is hard, messy, tiring, and frustrating sometimes BUT it is very rewarding and it gives me joy. I am still learning but I fill like this is what the Lord wants me to do. I finally understand why my mom worked so much now. It was the love that she has for the kids and the passion for teaching/helping her kids succeed. I only understand now because I have become the same way. I want my kids in kindergarten to succeed, to learn English, and to move forward in their education. Even if that means that I take my Saturday to sit down and plan and find activities that will help them understand a concept more. If that also means that I spend week nights thinking of a song that will help them understand their shapes. If this is what it means then that is what I will do. The Lord has called me to teach these kids. He has entrusted me with their education. So I pray that every day that He will use me and that I can give all of myself for His purpose and will. Right now that is teaching English.

Never say Never! Why is this so important? Because we have no idea what our life holds for us. The very thing that we could say no to could be what God wants us to say yes to. It could be the exact thing that He has for our lives. Who are we to tell the Lord, “Nope sorry that’s not good enough,” or “No I wont do that.” As Christians we are called to be like Christ and follow His commands. Do you think when Christ went to the cross he said, “Nope sorry I will not do that. None of them are good enough.” NO! When Jesus was praying in the garden he said, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Your will.” (Luke 22:42) They Lord didn’t want to die a brutal death on the cross but He was willing to do His Fathers will no matter what that might be. Jesus literally became “Broken bread and poured our wine.” In following Jesus example we should be seeking the Fathers will for our lives and becoming “broken bread and poured our wine.” We should give of ourselves for His Will and Glory. Fully surrender to the Lord and follow Isaiah’s example and say, “Here Am I. Lord send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

The Apostle Paul says, “I die daily.” (1 Corinthians 15:31) Every day we should die to ourselves because “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) Every morning when I wake up I pray that during the day I can put myself aside and live only for Him doing His will. I will be honest in saying that I fail at this…a lot. We are all going to fail doing this one time or another…and another. But the important part is that we strive to put Him first everyday of our lives. When we fall of the horse…get back up and start going again. I feel privileged to be able to do His work everyday, even if that is teaching…something I said I would never do.

Will you submit to the Father’s will, no matter what that might be? Will you give all of yourself for His will? Will you be available to become “Broken bread and Poured out wine?”

Where I Belong

I was asked the question recently…”What are you looking forward to the most about moving to Honduras?” I didn’t have to think for a minute and I answered by saying, “To finally be in the place I was created for, where I belong, and to finally be stable for a long period of time.” My answer took them by surprise, which I am sure it will for many of you. They asked me to explain. I would like to share with you all too.

(I will answer them a little out of order)

To Be Stable

At the moment I live in three places. Yep, you read right…three. 1.) I live in a small town in Maryland, the place where I grew up and my family is. 2.) I live in Pennsylvania, where I am going to college to get my two degrees. 3.) Also, I live in Honduras, the place I am moving to as a missionary. My heart and mind live in Honduras, since I am unable to be there at the moment.

I move back in fourth between Maryland and Pennsylvania almost every week. Bags are constantly being packed and unpacked, loaded and unloaded, never in one place long enough to be fully unpacked and settled in. When people ask me, “Where do you live” I literally look at them and saying “Umm…That’s a tricky question,” never really knowing how to answer. I live in Pennsylvania during the week, Maryland on the weekends, and Honduras constantly in my mind and heart. I am also going through all of my stuff and packing it up in order to move to Honduras in January. It is so draining not feeling stable. I feel like sometimes I spend more time packing and driving than I do being in one place.

So…Yes…I am looking forward to moving to Honduras to be stable. It will be the first place in four years that I will be able to take my stuff and unpack it. I won’t have to keep packing and unpacking, constantly living out of a suitcase. I can put things away and set things up knowing that I will be there for a little while and not have to constantly be moving every weekend. I will finally be in the place that my head and my heart call home. It is hard when the place that you call home is somewhere you can’t be yet, and am constantly missing the people and the family that you have there. I am so looking forward to that day of being stable and not having to constantly move.

Where I Belong

For a big part of my life, I spent time searching for the place where I belong as an individual. It seemed like people around me always knew what they were doing, wanted to do, and where they fit in. I never have really found that perfect fit for me. Until Honduras, there was never a place that I was like, “Yes! This is where I want to be. This is where I feel alive and useful.” One can say that I was missing a piece of my puzzle and I had to find it. You may be thinking, “Well what about your family? You belong with them. And your friends?” Yes, I love my family and they are a big part of my life. I belong to them and with them. I am so thankful for my friends, for their support and love over the years. BUT where do I, Amanda, belong as a person and where do I feel the most alive.

I had been to Honduras many times but it wasn’t until January 2014 that I knew. Honduras had always been a specially place for me but I kept praying for the Lord to show me where I belonged. I wanted to find that place that made me feel like I had found my missing puzzle piece. The Lords timing is always perfect. I was on the mountain feeding kids in the street. We had made it to the top and I turned to look over and down the mountain. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is where I belonged. I almost lost my balance, having to go and sit on a rock. It was in front of my face the whole time. I began to cry with tears of joy and happiness. It was like my eyes were open for the first time. I started seeing the whole mountain differently. I saw it as home. I could hear the Lord whisper to me, “Amanda, This is where you belong.” I found my missing puzzle piece. Thank you Lord!! I am excited to move to the place that I belong.

Created For

This goes along with figuring out where I belong. God created me for a reason and for a purpose. That purpose is to be a missionary. My mission in life is to be His vessel, to be the hands and feet of God, and to live my life in a sacrificial way, so that people will know the love of God through the love that He allows me to show them. This is my mission and this is what God created me to do. I am honored and humbled at the fact that the Lord and King of all the earth choose me to take His word out into the world, to Honduras, to show His love and spread His word to all nations. (Matthew 28:19)

I surrender my life to the Lord and want to be His vessel to do His work. Everything I do in life, I want to do for the Glory of the Lord. I want to capture the hearts of the people of Honduras for Christ, by using my gifts and dedicating my life, so that they may see His love.

John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

I am so thankful for this call the Lord has put on my life and has created me to do. I am ready to move and finally be in the place that the Lord has created me to be, the place of being a missionary.

What am I looking forward to the most? I am looking forward to finally be in the place I was created for, where I belong, and to finally be stable for a long period of time. To actually have my bags unpacked, and being stable for the first time in four years. To be in a place where I belong, where I have finally found my missing puzzle piece. Most importantly, I am looking forward to being in a place that I know the Lord has called me to do His work and to show His love to the people of Honduras.

I pray that you all will find the place where you belong but most importantly I pray that you will follow the Lord and the plans that He has for your life. It is an adventure that you will not take alone.

God Bless!!

Taking a Step in Faith

Are you willing to take the first step even though you have no idea what is next after that? Are you willing to leave everything and follow the Lord, even though you don’t know where that will take you? These two questions are very hard to answer. We want to be able to take that step and say that we would but when that time comes, we get nervous and afraid.

There are many times in our lives when the Lord ask us to take a step out in Faith and we can’t even see past the first step. Think back to different times in your life where you can see the Lord was asking you to do this. Did you take that step?

There has been a couple times in my life that the Lord has asked me to do this but the biggest one was when He gave me my call to be a missionary. I had been to Honduras a couple times already and I was getting ready to leave for my third trip in June 2010. Leading up to that trip I felt the Lord placing missions on my heart and to give my life to being a missionary. I was excited and scared because I couldn’t even see after my next trip let alone after high school and college.

During this time I was being put down for what I was doing by people, even some that I was very close to. I don’t say this for pity but I say it because it is true. This was a hard time for me. Yes I wanted to step out and follow the Lord but I also had people telling what I was doing was wrong and I shouldn’t do it. The night before I left I was wrestling with taking that step in faith. Do I following the Lord and becoming a missionary or do I not because of what people around me are telling me and I don’t even know how I am going to do it.

I prayed to the Lord that night for a long time and asked Him to show me clearly that He wants me to be a missionary. I needed to know what I was doing was right and that I was serving Him in the way that He wanted. The Lord answered my prayer clearly that night and gave me comfort like no other. I surrendered my life to being a missionary for the Lord that night and my life has never been the same.

It was hard to take that step in Faith because I didn’t know what was next and I didn’t know what people would say. To be honest I was scared.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

We have nothing to fear when taking that step in Faith because the Lord is with us always. God is not going to ask you to step out and Faith and then just leave you there. He will guide you. He will strengthen you. He will help you.

The road has not been easy since that night. There have been many up and downs but I know the Lord has always been right there with me. If you would have told me back in June 2010 everything that the Lord has done in my life these past 4 years I would have never believe you. By taking that one step the Lord has allowed me to go on 10 short term trips, go to college and get a degree in Intercultural studies and Biblical Studies, and be asked to join Hope for Honduras after I graduate. That one step of Faith turned into many steps of Faith but every one of them was worth it to follow the call the Lord has put on my life. I can take no credit for any of my accomplishments. It is only through the Grace and Mercy of God that I am where I am. I praise Him for all He has done and will do in my life.

Will you take that step?

Following The Lord’s Call

Welcome to my blog!

This blog is a place for my family, friends, and supports to keep up with me as I follow the call the Lord has put on my life. 

About my blog:   This blog is a place for my family, friends, and supports to come and keep up with me. This is a place for me to put all my thoughts on “paper” so to speak. I will be posting about things going on, events, prayer request, pictures, videos, thoughts etc. This blog is a place for me to share with you all what the Lord is doing in my life. I give all the Glory to God for what He is doing and will do! 

A little about me (but more to come!): I have been traveling to Honduras twice a year since 2008, to work along side of a ministry called, “Hope for Honduras.” Hope for Honduras is run by two missions, Ron and Shelley Jones. On a recent trip in January, I was asked to be a part of their ministry after I graduate from college in December 2015. I was not expecting this at all. I had hoped they would ask me but at the time I had no idea they would. I was looking at other ministries in Honduras and getting my name out their. Before I went in January I realized that I was trying to make things happen. I was running ahead of God instead of with Him. I finally got on my knees and released every to God. I prayed, “Lord, I know you have a plan for me. I will wait on You! This life in not my own, it is all about you God. When the time is right I know you will show me where you want me.” I didn’t know He would tell me so quickly but I am excited to begin this new path the Lord has set out for me. 

I am excited to share with you all! 

God Bless, 

Amanda Taylor 

 

Matthew 28:18-20

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”