VL - Issue 18 - November 2015

The Perfect Fit by
Kayla Miller
The perfect fit! Whoa, this is how Cinderella must
have felt when she slid that glass slipper on and
looked up into the eyes of the one who loved her
just the way she was. No memory of the hurt, no
mark of the wrong done to her in the past. Only
delight and hope for what lay ahead.
I slid the smooth, white, bamboo ring over my
wedding finger, and I smiled. No way could I have
imagined the events that had led to this moment.
The day had begun very early—3:00 a.m., to be
exact. I was in Mozambique, Africa, and living in
a house with a group of women I now called my
sisters. Five of us were up, all getting ready for a
surprise birthday party for one of our African house
sisters. Eagerly we woke up the birthday girl and, all
in the spirit of fun, blindfolded her, put her in our
truck, and took off toward the beach.
The timing was perfect. We arrived, set everything
up, and took off her blindfold. The sun broke free of
the horizon and washed our faces in glorious light.
We danced and laughed together as we watched
what must have been the most magnificent sunrise
our Creator had ever made on the Indian Ocean.
BEING A CHRISTIAN
IN NO WAY MEANS
WE ARE PERFECT.
But the surprise was far from over.
I waded out into the clear, warm ocean, the
sand squishing between my toes. I hung onto every
moment, not wanting to miss a single feeling or
sound. Our lovely house mama had asked earlier
that morning if anyone wanted to be baptized. I
found myself thinking long and hard about her
question.
I was baptized when I was a little girl. I knew
I was a Christian, and I loved the Lord, but her
question seemed to be eating at my soul.
Being a Christian in no way means we are
perfect. Throughout our lives, we are constantly
faced with choices, and in my life, I hadn’t always
chosen correctly. At times I’d failed to honor others
and myself, and I’d chosen to love things over the
one love that would never leave me hurt, neglected,
or feeling worthless.
Wading deeper into the water, I could hear that
still, soft voice in my heart whispering, “Today,
let Me be your first love. Let go of the burden of
the past. I no longer see it. I see only you and all
the beauty I made you to be. My love for you is
relentless. Be My bride!”
In agreement, I plunged under the water, and as
I emerged to catch my breath, I was made whole.
I felt it. No longer did I carry the guilt and shame
from my past. I could now look freely at my first love
with nothing but hope for our future.
Six hours later, the day came full circle when
I found a simple, beautiful, bamboo ring. I slid it
on my wedding finger and vowed that, from that
moment on, God would be my first love. I could rest
in His love because I knew that, like Cinderella, I
was cherished and valued and found to be the
perfect fit. V
Be Available by Roy A. Borges
Sometimes being kind to others can seem
impossible. God has taught me some undeniable
truths about kindness from the most unlikely place:
behind prison fences.
I’d like to share a simple act of kindness that I once
witnessed. I was lying on my bunk in the dormitory
reading the Bible when I heard Ryan ask Robert if he
could help him write a letter to his mother.
“How long has it been since you wrote your
mother, Ryan?” Robert asked.
“A couple of months,” Ryan said, “I don’t know
what to write. Would you help me?”
“Sure, I’ll help you.”
“One other thing…Do you think you could help
me with a stamp?”
“It doesn’t make much sense to help you write
a letter to your mother and not put a stamp on it,”
Robert said with a smile.
Robert’s kindness toward Ryan reflected the heart
of God, and I shall never forget it. Robert gave of
himself. It was a simple act. It was a simple thing—a
stamp. Yet the act and the gift had great value to Ryan.
And witnessing that kindness had great value to me;
it encouraged me.
Is there any encouragement from
belonging to Christ? Any comfort from
his love? Any fellowship together in
the Spirit? Are your hearts tender
and compassionate? Then make me truly
happy by agreeing wholeheartedly
with each other, loving one another,
and working together with one mind
and purpose. Don’t be self ish; don’t
try to impress others. Be humble,
thinking of others as better than
yourselves. Don’t look out only for
your own interests, but take an
interest in others, too.
Philippians 2:1–4
God calls us all to be kind. “Be kind to each other,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God
through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). It
pleases God when we are kind. “And don’t forget to
do good and to share with those in need. These are
the sacrifices that please God” (Hebrews 13:16).
But kindness isn’t always easy. It’s like a
construction project; it takes work. It doesn’t just
happen. Opportunities to express kindness are easily
missed. We are so busy with ourselves that we often
forget to help someone else. Helping others requires
us to sacrifice our time, to give up some activity to
make room for them.
I wonder what I would have told Ryan if he
would’ve asked me for help. Would I have made up
an excuse? Would I have justified putting him off by
saying I had to read my Bible or do something else
spiritual? Sometimes I can get so caught up in my own
activities—good activities—that I don’t take the time
to express the heart of God through kindness.
Situations often challenge us to put aside our
interests to help others. In my own strength, I cannot
accomplish it. But when I let the Spirit guide me, He
gives me a tender heart that is willing to put another’s
interest before my own.
We need to make room to be available whenever
others call on us for help, focusing not on what we
can gain from it, but on what we can give. A small
thing like a stamp could mean a lot to someone who
doesn’t have one. A small thing like a stamp may the
very thing that softens someone’s heart to personally
experience the love of God.V
www.kojministries.org 21