Dancing in the New Year!

Hanging with our incrdible staff at the ELI Walk-a-Thon.

Wow, it’s been a crazy start as God has led me into this new year, and in many ways I feel like I’ve been drinking from a fire hose this past month. From attending a short-term missions conference, to planning the ELI Walk-A-Thon, to sending out year-end tax stuff, to working on all the logistics for the teams and interns serving in Kenya this summer, I have been one extremely busy girl. And my body never quite knows whether to break out in a dance of praise for the amazing things God is doing, or have a complete stress breakdown. For now, it seems to be alternating between the two reactions. But I’m learning to dance and praise more and more instead of stressing out. I’ll share a few of those dancing moments with you now.

First, there’s the 3-day national short-term missions conference I attended in mid-January. Wow, was God’s Spirit ever moving in my heart! I found myself tearing up at the workshops, and kept thinking, “Kierra, what is wrong with you?” But over and over again, I heard God’s gentle whisper saying, “Kierra, those are my emotions that you’re feeling; it’s my heartbeat that I’ve placed in you. This is what I’ve wired you to do, and that’s why these passions and emotions are so deep in you.” The conference confirmed once again that I am most definitely where God wants me - doing what He created me to do. I’m dancing with Him and I love it!

I had another dancing moment at ELI’s Walk-A-Thon on Jan 28th. What a blast to walk around the APU track with 70 other people passionate about changing this world! Together, with other churches walking at their own locations, we raised around $23,000 to bring God’s hope to countless lives. Spending the day with our amazing staff, walking to African music, and sharing what God’s doing on the other side of the world, my spirit danced as I realized that this is what life is about; this is what we are about! It’s not about all the logistics in the office, all the stressful to-do-lists. It’s about walking together, touching lives, and living as the body of Christ. Thanks for that reminder Lord!