Desires of the Heart

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

–– Psalm 37:4 NIV

When my husband and I were in missionary training, one phrase was used over and over––count for eternity. Would my life count for eternity? What was my life’s purpose? I didn’t know where God would lead us or what our ministry would be, I just knew God called us to serve Him––to take the Gospel to those who never heard the Good News. We had an eternal purpose––bringing hope to the lost, so that they could have eternal life. God accomplished His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord. “This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11 NLT). He also wants to accomplish His eternal purpose in us.

This year, my husband and I celebrated 35 years of ministry in Bolivia, S.A. where we have a children’s ministry and also minister in national churches. Over the years, we’ve had many different ministries, and God has given me one more ministry with an eternal purpose. He’s given me the privilege of writing for Him. It’s another way to take the Gospel to the world by telling of His faithfulness and love through writing words, but not just my words but His message. If it is His message I write, then it has eternal value.

More than a decade ago, I began writing stories for my grandchildren to stay in touch over the many miles between us. After a few years of honing my writing skills, God blessed me with a contract with Pix-N-Pens Publishing for my three-book children’s series, Really Rare Rabbits. When God told me to go into all the world, never did I imagine that one day I would write books that would go into all the world.

In my Really Rare Rabbit series, Fi Fi asks her brother Chi Chi, “But, what is a missionary?” So, what is a missionary? Being a missionary, I can tell you that a missionary is a child of God doing His will in a far away land, or in our own country. We are all missionaries! “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up as a fragrant offering and sacrifice” (Ephesians 5:1 NIV). As a dearly loved child of God, it's a joy to show God's love to others. Each day brings new challenges and new joys, and each day I strive to spread that love to a dying world to give hope of eternal life to those who trust in Jesus.

This year, my new challenge led to writing not only for children but adults also. I’m excited about my first non-fiction book releasing October 18, 2016. Dancing Like Bees is a devotional for adults of all ages. In it, I share God’s instructions for de-stressing, the delight of living for God, and bee facts that help us dance like bees––the dances of communication and community. By examining the life of bees, we see the intricate details of God’s creation that we can apply to our everyday lives to reach a peaceful and productive life while overcoming stress and achieving joy.

I love being a missionary and never thought I’d desire to do anything else––until I began to write. I’m double blessed to be called by God to a ministry in missions and writing. God has truly given me the desires of my heart.