37 Years

Today, as I awaken to greet the sunrise and watch the clouds begin to dissipate as the land becomes bathed in the warm glow of morning, I am filled with gratitude for another day of life, another opportunity to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God. I will always be able to do the last one, but I imagine when I meet my King face to face, I won't remember injustice or a lack of mercy because they won't exist. But I will always be able to walk humbly with my God.

Today is my 37th birthday. I have been on this earth for 13,514 days. And as each one of those days comes and goes, I feel like I'm gaining a better understanding of what it means to truly live. To really live, one must be willing to give it all up and lay it all down, to live a life of surrender. A life that lets people experience a taste of God's Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Today, I will be visiting the homes of people in Kuria who are being offered an opportunities and choices. There are so many opportunities and choices we take for granted each day. And as I've been here in this community I've had my heart wrenched so much by some of the stories I've heard and the beauty I've seen as people in this community are caring for each other and helping each other make a better life and have some of those basic opportunities we take for granted. I mean, I can think of many times I've been in a dilemma about what I should eat, and as I've walked the fields with Jake and others, I've seen people who finally are able to grow enough food to feed their families.

So as I sit and write these thoughts from rural Kenya on my birthday, I'm filled with gratitude. Gratitude for life, for choices, for opportunities to do justice and love mercy as I walk humbly with my God. And I'm thankful for the opportunities you and I are able to bring to others through the work of Nuru. It is an honor and a privilege to be part of lasting change for our global neighbors. And, I'm hopeful that I'm given many more years on this earth to continue to do justice, love mercy, and to provide others with opportunities and choices. And I hope that you are given long life to do the same as well!