For Such A Time As This
When my Aunt asked if I would be willing to house sit for her over spring break, I felt a nudge that it was from the Lord, but, at the time, I had no idea what that nudge would lead to.
My boyfriend came to visit for the holidays in Ohio, and we stopped in South Carolina at my Aunt and Uncle's for a couple days on our way down to Florida. I was going to be leaving from Florida to spend 3 months in Brazil, so when my Aunt offered that I could house sit for them and take care of their dogs over spring break, I felt that this was a gift from the Lord so that I wouldn't be worrying about my dwindling bank account while I was in Brazil. And when she also offered that I could house sit for them again two months later, I was really thankful for an opportunity to spend time with them and for money that I would be able to count on, since my faith journey for the last year and a half had been so unpredictable. I quickly agreed, and my Aunt bought me a new plane ticket back to the U.S. that would take me straight to South Carolina.
About two weeks before my return to the States, I decided, on a whim, to look up "Christian dance studios" on Google to see if there were any in my Aunt's city. Low and behold, there was one! And a really nice looking one! This is the second time that God has used Google to direct my steps haha! (You can read about the first time here.) The studio appeared well established, focused on excellence, had a training company, was going on a mission trip to Africa in the summer, and trained with RAD curriculum that I had just been learning about from my boyfriend in Brazil. I also noticed that they didn't have any modern/contemporary classes listed, which is what I love to teach. I was so excited that I emailed the owner of the studio right away, introduced myself and said that I would love to be a part of their studio, even if they just needed someone to sweep the floors! My time in Houston taught me how important community is, and I knew I wanted to get plugged into a community in South Carolina as soon as I could, even if I was just going to be there for 3 months. What a blessing it would be to be somewhere where I could share all that the Lord has taught me through my experiences in Christian arts and missions these past few years.
Miss Cynthia, the director, emailed me back right away, and a few days after I arrived in South Carolina, I found myself sitting across from her warm, smiling face. As she shared about her studio and her vision, I grew even more excited to learn that her values were the same as mine and that we know a lot of the same people. She invited me to share with the girls during their devotions time the next day, which allowed me the honor of sharing my testimony with them and the chance to remind them of how blessed they are to dance at a unique studio like this one. They are currently preparing for their spring performance entitled "Born For This" based on the story of Esther in the Bible, done with a little twist!
So here I am, in South Carolina, for such a time as this, helping out with their spring performance, recital, and registration for summer classes. I think that Miss Cynthia and I are both equally surprised at my arrival, but I think that we can both acknowledge that my arrival was very timely, even though none of this was on my radar at all. It has taught me that God's plans and purposes are what prevail even without my awareness or planning. Don't get me wrong, planning can be good, but sometimes we get so anxious about the plan and about staying in God's will, when He already has it all under control. I had no idea what I would be doing after I returned from Brazil. I definitely didn't know that I would be living in South Carolina, working at a Christian dance studio, but here I am. For how long, I don't know, but God does and in that I find my rest! I will remain here for however long this season may be, enjoying time with my family and serving this studio with a thankful heart.
"But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." -Psalm 33:11
My boyfriend came to visit for the holidays in Ohio, and we stopped in South Carolina at my Aunt and Uncle's for a couple days on our way down to Florida. I was going to be leaving from Florida to spend 3 months in Brazil, so when my Aunt offered that I could house sit for them and take care of their dogs over spring break, I felt that this was a gift from the Lord so that I wouldn't be worrying about my dwindling bank account while I was in Brazil. And when she also offered that I could house sit for them again two months later, I was really thankful for an opportunity to spend time with them and for money that I would be able to count on, since my faith journey for the last year and a half had been so unpredictable. I quickly agreed, and my Aunt bought me a new plane ticket back to the U.S. that would take me straight to South Carolina.
About two weeks before my return to the States, I decided, on a whim, to look up "Christian dance studios" on Google to see if there were any in my Aunt's city. Low and behold, there was one! And a really nice looking one! This is the second time that God has used Google to direct my steps haha! (You can read about the first time here.) The studio appeared well established, focused on excellence, had a training company, was going on a mission trip to Africa in the summer, and trained with RAD curriculum that I had just been learning about from my boyfriend in Brazil. I also noticed that they didn't have any modern/contemporary classes listed, which is what I love to teach. I was so excited that I emailed the owner of the studio right away, introduced myself and said that I would love to be a part of their studio, even if they just needed someone to sweep the floors! My time in Houston taught me how important community is, and I knew I wanted to get plugged into a community in South Carolina as soon as I could, even if I was just going to be there for 3 months. What a blessing it would be to be somewhere where I could share all that the Lord has taught me through my experiences in Christian arts and missions these past few years.
Miss Cynthia, the director, emailed me back right away, and a few days after I arrived in South Carolina, I found myself sitting across from her warm, smiling face. As she shared about her studio and her vision, I grew even more excited to learn that her values were the same as mine and that we know a lot of the same people. She invited me to share with the girls during their devotions time the next day, which allowed me the honor of sharing my testimony with them and the chance to remind them of how blessed they are to dance at a unique studio like this one. They are currently preparing for their spring performance entitled "Born For This" based on the story of Esther in the Bible, done with a little twist!
So here I am, in South Carolina, for such a time as this, helping out with their spring performance, recital, and registration for summer classes. I think that Miss Cynthia and I are both equally surprised at my arrival, but I think that we can both acknowledge that my arrival was very timely, even though none of this was on my radar at all. It has taught me that God's plans and purposes are what prevail even without my awareness or planning. Don't get me wrong, planning can be good, but sometimes we get so anxious about the plan and about staying in God's will, when He already has it all under control. I had no idea what I would be doing after I returned from Brazil. I definitely didn't know that I would be living in South Carolina, working at a Christian dance studio, but here I am. For how long, I don't know, but God does and in that I find my rest! I will remain here for however long this season may be, enjoying time with my family and serving this studio with a thankful heart.
"But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." -Psalm 33:11
The girl's first rehearsal in the theater!
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