Is the rumor true?

Dear Friends…

   I have an announcement to make.  I’ve been a rumor at Pella Corporation twice in my life, once when I took the position as Quality Engineer about 4 years ago, and second this last week or two regarding that I may have handed in my voluntary resignation.  I want to clear up the rumor today and tell you it is true I have turned in my resignation and it has been accepted. 

   I know some of you have been shocked (and will be) by this and have told me to stay (and I appreciate that, it has reminded me tremendously how wonderful Pella Corporation and the community is, and how much I’m loved).  You will be happy to know that I will be at work for a few months yet, so you can’t get rid of me that fast. J

   The question is… why?  Short answer… I feel called by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… (this is going be long but worth reading) So for the last 7 years I’ve been growing exponentially in my faith while in Pella.  I’ve been leading a small group that whole time, going to a wonderful church where I’ve taken the best classes I’ve ever been in, and I’ve been on 3 mission trips outside the US.  Behind the scenes of all of that, God has been working on my heart and Jesus has truly become my everything.  The last couple of years I’ve felt a calling on my heart… when people would pray for me and the future (different people and locations) they kept hearing… I’m not supposed to know yet and I’m on a trust walk.  This was frustrating at times… but in June before I went to Haiti I was at a time of prayer called “Encounter I Am” in Pella that I had been at many times before.  As we were spending some time doing Lectio Divina (reflecting on Scripture) God gave me an AWESOME picture (a gift I’ve been graced with the last few years)… you see the next week I was switching jobs at work and the girls I had mentored for almost 7 years had graduated high school and would be leaving college in a couple months.  I knew big changes were going to happen but I was “not going to focus on it until it happened”.  But God spoke to my heart and told me I needed to hand over my fears to Him.  In my mind I pictured myself taking those fears to the cross.  I saw my future in my vision as a book I laid down at the foot of the cross.  I spent some time there in my mind soaking in God’s love.  This is where my part of the vision stopped and God took over… as I was focused on the cross, Jesus (as I see Him) came over to the cross, picked up the book and took it over to what looked like my dad’s lazy boy chair that we had as I was growing up.  Jesus sat down and started to read out of the book.  I saw myself as “little Rayelle” sitting on the floor listening intently.  As He continued I realized the book He was reading was my life story… and not just so far, but the whole thing.  As the little girl continued to enjoy the story, the part came of where life was at now… the little girl looked up with great excitement and squealed, “This is my favorite part!”.  Woe… had I just heard that right, oh yes… woe… ok, God the last 7 years + of my life have been AWESOME… so if you are telling me that my Favorite Part is just coming up… anything, anything you want God it is yours was all I could spit out.

   If any of you have ever said these words before you know this is a “dangerous prayer” but let me tell you God has been working overtime on that prayer and my life.  Long story short… there was a lot that was going on in my heart.  When in Haiti I had an awesome time, but didn’t feel any huge God moment at that time that I was going to do work in Haiti.  I came home with an open heart for God’s kingdom.  The girl’s left for college and I was feeling quite empty.  I’ve not understood what God is wanting with me… why isn’t it happening faster?  I’ve been struggling at work with a loss of passion in my old role towards the end and I hoped it would return with a job change about 5 months ago… but the fact is it didn’t.  Nothing at work specifically was a problem, I love the people and the company… but I couldn’t shake it.  I have great co-workers, quality techs that had worked for me that mean a lot to me, and good leaders.  I found myself praying often God please help me be able to do a good job and enjoy it just a little, until the time you call me to move on is shown, I will go when you call…

  Well, that time has come.  Pella Corporation is going to have a rough winter with the housing market being down, normal slow season, and the government tax credits planned to end on Dec 31^st.  There was an announcement of a closing plant in Ohio in a little less than a year and a call for voluntary retirements and separations.  My poor father got a phone call from me rambling with confusion, fear, etc. and I am so thankful he is a good listener.  After sleeping on it, talking to a friend who prayed for me and asking God for confirmation… tons was given.  I was on a trust walk, and I was being called to let go of my job (I should note that I had on my heart that I needed to sell my house in the summer and have had it for sale since July with a short break when a friend moved in with me for a bit).

  So, this is it.  I’ve put in the request it has now been approved, and I have never felt better about anything in my life!  I feel like the whole world is ahead of me but I am different now as a person than I was before, and I’m truly waiting on God’s time.  I’ve done some research into going to Italy to do some missions for awhile (I had been researching taking a Leave of Absence at Pella Corp. this winter for the last 6 months… guess this will just be longer now).  God showed up to in an awesome way of a phone call from a woman in town asking me about my house for sale by owner… she asked why I was selling and I gave her the basic answer of why I had put it up… roommate got married, job had more travel, too much work for me at this time in life.  I also added about how God was changing me and I thought He might be calling me to do missions in Italy.  She gasped on the other end in shock… and said I am supposed to give you a name and email address… I was like, huh?  I had researched multiple things and nothing felt right.  Here was this lady calling literally out of nowhere giving me direction, God is awesome.  I’ve been in contact with the missionaries in Italy I was told about, but not sure if that is going anywhere yet or not.

   So yeah… this is where I’m at.  I have a peace that is beyond all human understanding, even with a house to sell and no idea what is next.  But I wouldn’t change it for anything.  Please keep me in your prayers as I am truly in a moulding process right now and a preparation time, and Satan likes to work on those hard when God is doing big things with them.  Also for my family as they love me so much, but don’t totally understand either.

  May all praise and glory with all that happens here be given to God who sent His son to die for me.  He is worth everything I have.  I’ll keep you posted on the rest ;)

How is your walk on the balance beam?

Tonight in class at Third we watched this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA_uwWPE6lQ

It was amazing to me!  What Francis Chan has been through, and the decisions he has made and how God has used him.  I feel like I'm jumping up and down on that beam right now (details to come) but awesome!  I want to hear WELL DONE good and faithful servant someday... how about you?

What's been happening

Thoughts from the last few months...

Life has changed a lot this summer... here are the details
-small group gals (of 6.5 years) left for college
-new job going from manufacturing and managing 7 people to corporate sitting in cubicle
-turned 30
-roommate of a few years moving out and getting married

but something in my heart has been changing the last few years... I feel like this house that I, and others who helped me, have put so much work and effort into... I need to let it go... and I'm okay with that.  What's up with that?

The Beginning... of my Favorite Part

Events below from June 2010 before Haiti...

I have had an awesome part already in my life being part of God's amazing story.  I grew up in a strong Christian home and had faith but in the last 7 years God has grown in me exponentially!  It has been so thrilling and I'm so honored it is hard to explain.  The vision He had given me for the last few years has come to a "chapter close".  What I mean is that I've had the opportunity to mentor a group of young women from 6th grade through high school, and at the end of this summer they've moved on to their next chapters.  As you can imagine I've seen some of the best and worst in their lives and talking to the girls what kept us together was Truth and Love as scripture states, being honest and sharing all, and much much prayer!  My life has changed quite a bit with them gone but my heart is so different and open to where God may want me next.

One of the ways God has changed me is with a gift the last few years of getting pictures in prayer and worship.  This is not something I can control but totally a gift when needed for myself or others.  The most meaningful one for me happened a few months ago.  I was in a prayer meeting and we were doing Lectio Divina (focusing on a scripture) and the leader told us that some of us had to let go of a fear and take it to the cross.  At this time the girls were leaving, my job was changing the week after, my roommate was moving out and more... I had been telling myself that I would deal with it when it happened.  But God had different plans and lovingly told me I needed to deal with it then.  I pictured myself taking the future to the cross in the form of a book, setting it down and kneeling.  At this point the images were given to me, and not my own (I wish I was this creative) and what I saw was Jesus walking over to the cross, picking up the book and
taking it over to what looked like my dad's lazy boy chair growing up.  He sat down, and started to read the book.  I saw myself as a "little Rayelle" kneeling on the floor with a keen ear.  As Jesus was reading I began to realize the book he had wasn't just my life so far... it was my whole life.  And as the little Rayelle found him in the part of my life right about now, she looked up at Him and said... "This is my favorite part!" 


What had I just heard... I sat there for a long moment and had a tear or two and reaffirmed that I was willing to do whatever God called me to do...Send me... let the Adventure begin.

What a week

Friends, I would never would have guessed on a Saturday night after a day of fun in Des Moines I'd be sitting awake creating a blog.  But with the week I've had, in fact the last few months, or maybe even 7 years... I need to start sharing some of this.  I hope this will be enjoyable for you, will help me remember, and will glorify God. Stay tuned for more... :)