Ever since I was little, I recall a desire to go overseas and explore new countries. My biggest dream was to be a fashion designer. I wanted to go to Paris, Japan, Italy...all of the countries that little girls who want to be designers daydream about. I would sit in my room and draw, design, and come up with unique outfits. But, reality hit me and I never chased after that dream. God had different plans.
I became Seventh-Day Adventist while a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica. I randomly met a boy at the beach who was a preacher and also became my really good friend. He invited me to church to listen to him preach, and I went, I was not doing anything that Saturday, why not go? He started sharing with me Seventh-Day Adventist beliefs, and I did not take him for his word initially. My family is Baptist and while I did not grow up in church, I knew we went to church on Sundays and not Saturdays. I started asking others questions.
At the time, I was attending a Full Gospel church that a student of mine would invite me to. When my friend started sharing his beliefs about keeping God's Commandments, I asked the Pastor of the church what he believed in regards to them. He said that we could not keep God's Commandments, they were done away with at the cross. He had been teaching me as well, and wanted me to baptize in his church. I started to do my own research, ask different faith groups, look at different scriptures and read the whole New Testament looking for a scripture saying we do not need to keep God's Commandments or keep the Sabbath. I did not find any.
I discovered that most people believe that you are to keep the Commandments of God. But if this is the case, why do we only keep 9 of them? Jesus himself kept the Sabbath, and so did everyone before him and after him. At that point, I prayed about it and knew what God wanted me to do. Many times it is mentioned in his word that we are not to follow man or the teachings of man.
I believe that God sends us places and everything that happens in our lives happen for a reason. I believe that my time spent in Jamaica s a Peace Corps Volunteer was to serve others, but I learned from others, and learned a lot about myself. I believe also that God wanted me to learn about his true church, and wanted me to be saved. I am glad for his revelation and calling on my life, for my life now is much better than it was before. I have a new purpose, a new meaning, and I know I can always count on God to love me when I am lonely and provide for me when I am in need.
So, being a fashion designer was not God's calling, but something else was. He called me to be a missionary, to spend my life serving him. I may not travel to the above mentioned places, but I know God has far better places for me to go, places where people are yet to hear of his truth and love. I do not know how long God has called me to the country that he has called me to. But I am a willing servant no matter how long or how short he has called me.
