Natives and a Redhead

"Go and make disciples if all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and if the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19

Go. Go. Go. I've been hearing that word for quite some time.

Culture, is something that has struck heavy on my heart over the years. I can remember my few years living in Oklahoma and asking so many questions about the Native Americans. Just having the knowledge that something or someone stood where I stood, was something as a young child so magical. I was still so young to comprehend the fact that their culture was a dying culture, because it was all around me. A few years pass and I go to cultural fairs in my town in Arkansas that had tribal dancers. Booths containing craftsmanship of hardened hands working hard for little income. Still to this day I picture the old Indian woman's face when I asked her about her work. Small carved wooden dolls, littlest of details etched into the craft. It all sounds cliche, I know. But as young as I was this was my biggest fascination.Years pass and here I am. Attending college in Tallahassee Florida, home of the Seminoles. Everywhere I turn there's something pointing towards the Native American culture.
Why?
Holy cow batman, that's a hard one.
God has made it clear to me within this last year that he wants me teaching, not just teaching, but teaching in Native American schools. Weird, right? I know. People are always like "wow, I've never heard of anyone wanting to do that". That's true. You probably wont again either, but hey, you asked. But God is working in my heart and allowing me to grow through this. I've become aware and researched the culture and the reservations needs for teachers, and it's interesting to see what they need. Often times students on reservations don't complete high school or go on to college, because they are such poor communities. They're spiritually dark too. It's a constant war of alcoholism and drugs. Women raise their children in alcoholic house holds and have no way out.

 Where?

Good question, God is still preparing me and educating me, and I'm just now completing my freshman year of college. But, he has laid it on my heart, and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, no matter how hard I shake it. I've found that the WHERE aspect of it all is to be determined later on by the Lord and he will do something great with it.

God has done a lot in me this year, and it hasn't been easy to battle with. Coming to terms with what he wants for me wasn't exactly my dream, but dreams do change, and so do people. It's an adventure in the making (and I'm all about that) that he has already planned out.

Go, I'll be going. I sit in excitement for what he has in store for me. Now all I have to do is wait, and do what I can in the mean time. Things change, plans change, life changes. But everyday I find myself dreaming up and coming up with ideas of things I can do, I have a small note book where I write them down so that I wont forget.

I wanted to share this with y'all because its all I can think about. I waited long enough to know it wasn't a phase, and that I wasn't dreaming up something. I felt the need to share what God had been working in and on my heart in this last year, and last forever. God is truly amazing. I can finally answer the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" truthfully.





-Tay