The Ripple Effect

When you drop a stone into the water it makes little ripples that go out, getting bigger and bigger and soon the ripples are more than triple the size of your rock and continuing to grow. 

Most people I meet want the same thing, we all want to do something 'important' and make a difference but on the same hand we are comfortable where we are or we are scared to change. You can't have both. You're either starting a ripple on this huge earth or your still sitting safely on the shore, not wanting to get your feet wet.

I was that person. I wanted to change the world but it looked scary to take a leap of faith into the unknown so I stayed where I was and prayed for God to use me from the shore. Then it happened... God called me to be a counselor to middle school girls and what do you think I said...? "No way!" I had a lot of 'good excuses' like; 'I have to work', 'I wouldn't be a good counselor', 'I can't figure out my own life, how can I help these girls figure out theirs?', 'I can't handle middle schoolers', etc. but God saw through them all and eliminated them all. So I went.

That week changed my life in so many ways. I found my passion, I got the honor of praying with 5 girls to accept Jesus into their hearts and I heard God calling me into ministry of some sort. I left my full time job with benefits and PTO to take a part time job at Freedom for Youth Ministries, having no idea what I was actually getting myself into. I let God toss me into the water so to speak and he used me to start the ripple. 

Again last week I spent the week counseling at Koronis Bible Camp for the second year. I was one of four junior camp counselors and I was in charge of 10 girls ages 8-12. It was a great week and I learned a lot but by the end I was emotionally drained and exhausted. I'd gotten to know all my girls and heard stories of bulling, loss of family, trying to find out who they were, it pushed me to a limit that I'd never been to before. I was heartbroken and all I wanted was to heal their hearts but I couldn't, only God could. I argued with God, why did she have to go through this, she's on;y 12!? As she cried on my shoulder I cried with her because I felt her pain. That was the first time I really asked God why he put me there, I couldn't handle this. For the first time since I felt God calling me I seriously wondered if I was even where I was supposed to be...

I came home feeling lost and confused. I didn't have answers anymore like I used to think I had. So I did the only thing I knew would give me answers I spent time with Jesus just telling him my thoughts and fears and questions. He didn't show up in the way I was expecting though. He showed up through friends that spoke words of encouragement to me and prayed for me, he showed up in a letter from my brother saying exactly what I needed to hear even though he had no idea what was going on and he showed up as I sat by the water at Lake Red Rock, angrily chucking rocks, and asked me a question that I had to think about. Why are you really doing this? Are you doing this for you or for me?

That question brought me back to reality hard and fast. I was mad at God because he put me somewhere I wasn't comfortable with and I didn't have answers. When I took my eyes off Jesus I started going under just like Peter did in Matthew 14. I stopped depending on God and started depending on myself and my ripple had slowly started to die out...

God has shown me grace though this all though and he's now giving me a chance to keep going, this time with a new perspective. This isn't about me, it's about God.

It's hard to start a ripple in this world, it  takes a lot of Faith, vulnerability, and a willingness to follow God wherever he leads you.You will have to make sacrifices, step out of your comfort zone, and maybe lose something you worked hard to get but in the end it will be worth it, trust me.

What are you willing to give up for God?

Katelyn