A Beautiful Invitation

One of my all-time favorite scenes to see played out is a daddy daughter dance.  There's just something truly beautiful about it.  Even more than that, I love beyond words the picture of a little girl dancing on her daddy's feet.  Holding onto her daddy's hands, eyes filled with delight, giggles echoing through the air as she squeals with sheer joy - simply beautiful.

In a lot of ways, I feel as though this paints an accurate depiction of my journey with Jesus to this place here in Mae Sot, Thailand.  Invited onto the feet of Jesus, my time here has felt much like me holding onto my Daddy's hands and squealing with delight and uncertainty as we move around the room together, me holding fast to ensure I don't fall.  I have no idea which way He will lead or when, but looking up into His eyes and seeing His delight gives me confidence to let Him hold me up.

It felt more than a little crazy to pack up my life in Indiana and make the move to Mae Sot.  I mean, I had a steady job of 11 years.  I loved doing what I was doing and the team I was a part of, yet something felt unsettled in it.  I tried to ignore whatever was stirring up inside of me to go off into the far reaches of the world.  When that didn't work, I tried leaning into it and ended up frustrated and confused when things weren't panning out how I had planned.  I spent years waiting and seeking, then more waiting and seeking, trusting God was doing something and leading somewhere but both descriptions were so vague I gave up knowing what it would all look like.  I battled through countless insecurities giving up something I knew I could do and had done for 11 years to dive into something completely unknown, something that caused me to question what I really had to offer.  Yet the invitation of Jesus to step up onto His feet once again and dance me around the room touched a longing in the deepest part of my heart.

Being here now, it still feels like a dream - like each day holds so much more than I could ever imagine.  My heart longs to see women, young and old, empowered - knowing their worth and value, confident in who and whose they are, equipped with skills and knowledge to both embrace and live out their God-given passions and dreams.  And that's exactly what God has invited me into.  The story He's been writing here in Mae Sot is a beautiful tale of women growing in confidence, dreaming bravely and influencing bravery in those around them by beginning to believe their dreams possible.  Each day is an opportunity to see their smiles, to experience their joy, to learn alongside them.  Each day is a beautiful invitation into their lives and a front row seat to see how God is growing them, empowering them, igniting passions and dreams of their own.  He is SO good and SO faithful.  And there is more to come - I'm confident of it!

His faithfulness and goodness are bigger than this Bicycle Shop Cafe called Braverly we get to volunteer our time at.  His faithfulness and goodness are bigger than the products these beautiful young women are helping design and sew and the goodies they are learning to bake and sell.  His faithfulness and goodness are without measure - beyond what we can imagine!  And the invitation to step up onto His feet, look up into His eyes and know that He can be completely trusted to hold me up as we dance around together... that is an invitation I pray I never stop looking forward to, never stop longing for.

We were made to dance on the feet of Jesus, firm and secure in His arms, delighting in Him as He leads us.  We were made to experience His goodness and faithfulness, making our hearts come alive and inspiring us to dream.  His invitation to us to come away with Him, to be held by Him, is a beautiful invitation.

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" -2 Corinthians 9:15