Story by: Melissa “Miss M” Yeakley
When I was serving as a boarding school teacher in Belmopan, Belize, I wasn't thinking about birthday wish lists and being a mother, but my season was about to change.
A missionary friend was the one who told me about Laugh Out Loud Ministries in Punta Gorda. After looking at their website, I prayed about the possibility of signing on to become a teacher for one year. Within a few weeks, having never even visited, I felt that God was calling me there. The first time I stepped on campus, it felt like home.
It's now two years later, and in those two years, I've not only become a teacher but a foster mom as well. Talk about a transition! Day in and day out, our lives might look somewhat redundant. Still, there is always an undertow of God's work being done, as He draws us closer, grows us more into who we are meant to become, and building our faith.
When one of my girls first arrived in my home, let's just say she was a "bit" of a struggle. Often times, our children are coming to us from very broken places, in pain, with a desperate need to belong. Within days, I learned that she knew about God, but wasn't too keen on any interaction with Him. She absolutely refused to pray at mealtime, refused to pray before bedtime, and would not listen to worship music if it was playing. Plain and simple, she was mad at God; and I don't know that in her situation, I would have been much different.
Fast forward four months, and it's nearing her birthday. Things are still challenging, and a transition of this magnitude is never easy, but this one was especially painful. I was insistent on providing opportunities for her, and all my kids, to have encounters with God. I hoped that something would begin to change, but I knew that I couldn't force that to happen.
Birthday approaching, my soon to be 8-year-old made a list of all the things she wanted for her birthday. Jokingly, it was a bit of an exhaustive list.
*Take a trip to Placencia, (a 3 hour round trip.)
*Go swimming
*Go to the ocean
*Go out for pizza
*Eat birthday cake
*Go get ice cream
*A birthday party sleepover with my sisters
*A piñata
*New toys
I thought, "There is no way I can make all of this could happen, and now I'm going to have to prepare her for some disappointment." The gas alone for a trip to Placencia is about $150BZD. The last thing I needed was to deliver a letdown. See, when you're giving your very best to these kids, yes, you know there are going to be moments of correction and the occasional letdown, but you try hard to avoid them.
We sat down on the couch to have a brief and mildly heartbreaking chat. I explained, "Listen, I don't know that we can afford everything on your list, but we most certainly will try and accomplish a few of your wishes." Moments later, she jumped up and said, "I'm going to ask God. He is bigger than all of us, and He will help me." If only you could have seen the look on my face. I'm sitting there, both shocked at what she just said, but sadly still knowing that it was outside the realm of possibility.
Over the next month, that girl prayed every night for her birthday wishes. During a staff meeting just a week before her big day, I brought up her "wish list" to the LOL staff. The next day, someone wrote in to say that they wanted to sponsor her birthday celebration and make every single wish come true for her.
That very night, I revealed the fantastic news to my 7-year-old, and she looked at me and said, "I told you, Mom! My God can do anything!" I was shocked that this little girl who fought prayer and God encounters for so many months could finally say something like that, especially when I was the one who was doubting God.
I realized at that moment that I needed greater faith and bigger dreams, just like that of this child. If God can do the "impossible" things, then I want to be found faithful embodying that message and believe it's possible, right alongside my kids.
And guess who our household prayer warrior is becoming? Yep! She watched God come through, and now she is continually praying for things. We are seeing God miraculously answer her prayers for things like physical healing and family breakthrough. How beautiful that God would use a celebration of her life to not only draw her in but begin to release her into her calling and in sweet relationship with Him.
These children are changing me, and all of us here at LOL, and I'm learning how to stand in a more secure place, placing my trust where it is secure. If you find yourself in a battle with belief, just remember that we serve a God who is abundantly able to do more than we could think or imagine. Everything from Placencia and parties, to pizza and piñatas.
Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Do not forget, despite what your past or your current circumstance may try to convince you of, He always knows the best way to turn everything around for your good!
If you are interested in impacting the lives of children in a very direct and meaningful way, would you consider becoming a LOL Monthly Sponsor? It is a terrific, easy, and practical way to help us moving forward shaping a changing these children's lives for a bright and glorious future.