Her Winning Ways

One of the challenges of this life is to recognize the hand of God as He provides opportunities for us to serve Him and to serve others - and as He sustains us in the midst of the adverse circumstances we encounter. In 1st Peter 5, we read:
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

If we are walking in a state of humility before God, we can be sensitized to the direction of the Holy Spirit, who will accomplish His purposes as we are willing to be used by Him.  As humble people, we can recognize that God is with us, and will manifest His presence in our lives as we are devoted to seeing Him and seeking Him.  In our adversity, we can be confident that He has a plan for us, to draw us closer to Himself and to strengthen us in our spirits.

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We can be confident in God's faithfulness, and know that even in tough times, we can experience the love of God. 2nd Corinthians 4 says:
(16) Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

There was a heartwarming story on the WORLD Magazine website recently about a set of circumstances that took place in Alabama.  It was centered on a 17-year-old young lady Kaitlynn Campbell, a student at Hayden High School, north of Birmingham.

After hearing her sing at a school assembly, the school's guidance counselor gave Kaitlynn a pamphlet about the Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen Pageant and coordinated a community-wide effort to prepare her for the event.   In a competition against 41 other women from across the state, Kaitlynn was chosen as the winner.

The story says that she will advocate a platform focused on child abuse and neglect as she prepares to compete for Miss America’s Outstanding Teen.  Shelly Roach, a stylist who helped Campbell fix a botched hair coloring job, told AL.com. “She has lived her platform for many years.”

You see, at the time when Kaitlynn was first contacted about the pageant, she had already been in foster care for eight months, moving between a group home and foster homes. Campbell’s social worker helped the counselor, Karron Standridge, solicit and organize area donations, including money to pay the competition’s various fees, borrowed formal gowns, make-up and manicures, photo sessions, and pageant preparation tips.

And, of course, Shelly helped out with the hair - and so much more.  According to AL.com, while working on Kaitlynn's hair, Shelly learned of the adversity in her life and decided to help more. She talked with her husband of two years, Bryan, and they decided to take her in.  Bryan is quoted as saying, "After I met Kaitlynn, I saw what (Shelly) saw and an opportunity to help this young woman, adding, "After a period of prayer, we felt like we were led to do it." Over a week ago, Kaitlynn Campbell was scheduled to move in with Bryan and Shelly. 

Shelly says: "Our goal in all of this is that we want what is best for Kaitlynn."

AL.com quotes Kaitlynn as saying that she has tried to "make the best out of everything" that's come her way. She said, "I've worked with my circumstances," adding, "It has been hard. It hasn't been easy, but it has been so worth it. It has just been an incredible journey ever since. Things have fallen together perfectly, God has just been in this whole journey all through the way.

Kaitlynn adds, "I'm excited to able to represent the state of Alabama and to be the voice for the kids that are going through hard times...I'm excited to be able to use my platform as a stepping stone to change the world."

You think God was at work here?  What an inspiring story!   And, there are some principles here we can apply in our own lives.  I think an overriding concept is that opportunity is all around us - we have to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to direct us.   Shelly heard the story and wanted to help more.  She and her husband prayed about being involved in becoming foster parents for Kaitlynn. God provided the opportunity, and they stepped forward into what He was orchestrating.

And, how about Kaitlynn's opportunity?  This was a young woman who acknowledges that God was in her journey.  It has not been an easy road for her - she was, as AL.com points out, a ward of the state as she competed for this statewide crown.  But, despite her negative circumstances, she recognized the hand of God.   In our personal journeys, we may not experience ease and pleasure, but that's not the life to which He has necessarily called us - He promises to be with us, and to manifest His presence and joy in our lives in the midst of adversity.   And, we have the promise of eternal glory with Jesus as we trust Him in this life.  And, when we encounter His blessings, we can be careful to give Him praise for His faithfulness.