A Life Interrupted
In a few days I do it again.
I leave the comfort of my home. Private bathroom, my bathtub, air conditioning and my soft comfy king sized bed. I leave my family. Cooking dinner and washing my husbands clothes after he works so hard all week. I will miss my daughters 31st birthday. I will miss my 8 year old grandsons first year of all-star games. I miss my 20 month old grandson learning new words and experiencing new things. I miss my Oklahoma grandchildren coming to visit. I miss all of my families, kisses, hugs, family dinners, beach days, pool days and snuggles. I leave behind my home church that I love so much, taking care of my flowers that I have babied all Spring, not to mention the season finale of Survivor. 
I go to live in a house with 9 young adults in a foreign country. No privacy. Long days of hard physical work, serving, cleaning, cooking, counseling , teaching, discipling. Lot’s of walking, no television, no cable and no car. Walking to the open air market to purchase our food then making sure it is all washed and prepared correctly to keep anyone from getting sick. Forced to take a long hard look into my own soul, stripping away layers of selfishness.
It may seem like I sacrifice so much.. But Oh What I Gain!
I gain the opportunity to sow into the lives of 9 amazing young women who arrive like little sponges, eager to soak up everything I have to share with them. I gain the opportunity to not only tell them, but show them that there is more to life than just living the American Dream. I gain the joy as I see their mind set change when they realize there is more to being a Christian than just attending Church. I gain the opportunity to work with an amazing organization that makes a difference in Guatemala every single day. I connect with a family that we have raised funds to build a house for. We not only give them a new home, but hope for a better future. We are able to show them that there is a God who loves them and has not forgotten them. I gain the knowledge that I am right where I belong.
Serving God and serving others is not always convenient . It will cost you. It will cost you time with your family, it will cost you sleep, money and comfort. However, the rewards are fulfilling and they are eternal. It is the fulfillment of why we were put on this earth. To love God and make him known to others. To make a difference in the world we live in.
This is not said to pat myself on the back or to hear words of affirmation. I am no one special. I am just a wife, a mother and a grandmother. I just happen to be a person that says Yes. So I challenge you to say yes. Allow your life to be interrupted, allow yourself to do it even when you are afraid. Sacrifice some of the “things” that you think you can’t do without. Go beyond what you think you are capable of. For it is in these times that your purpose for life will become abundantly clear.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.– Mark 12:30-31
Genia O’Neal Director Dirty Feet Missions