A few years in the making…
Helping others has always been something I’m passionate about. It’s taken on different forms through the years—volunteering at church, befriending those on the outside, teaching as a career, assisting friends, family, and even strangers—but it comes from a place that I believe God created inside me. And I think he uniquely designed me to see people in need where others might pass by.
I went on my first mission trip in high school and loved experiencing other cultures. It opened my eyes in ways that living in Idaho just couldn’t. After graduation, I traveled around the country for a short time with a group of other young adults, sharing God’s hope and light with others through song.
Our trip included ministering in Jamaica. There, I witnessed the disparity between the tourist areas and the actual living conditions of the people. That has stuck with me and shaped how I see others and think about generosity. I also remember the profound impact it had on the way I view God—He is wonderfully creative and diverse.
As an adult, life choices led me to Southern California. At first, I was overwhelmed by how different and diverse the people and culture were. But one of the things I miss most after moving away is that diversity.
In Revelation chapter 7, John shares that in heaven there is a “vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language standing before the throne” of God (vs 9). This is an exciting picture of eternity for me!
Fast forward (A LOT) to this year, 2025.
Because of many changes over the last ten years, I find myself as a single woman with flexible time. I am not constrained to a traditional work schedule since starting my own business. And I am viewing my singleness as a gift I can use to honor and serve God. Writing those sentences makes it seem so simple! Yet, there has been a lot of hardship, loss, and working through my own issues that have gotten me here.
I am incredibly thankful for God’s grace and faithfulness, for friends and family who have walked with me through very difficult days, and that my heart remains open and soft to growth and God’s leading.
Part of my business includes book editing. Early in the year, I started editing a book for a pastor who wants to help others understand the meaning of the Hebrew word, Hineni. It doesn’t just mean Here I am. It is an attitude of the heart that means, God, whatever you are about to ask, I am already in agreement with.
[When it’s published, I’ll let you know because it’s sooooooo good!]
Just editing this book changed me. The words were speaking directly to me.
April, are you all in?
April, are you ready for what’s next?
April, do you trust me?
Shortly after finishing the edits, I left on a solo trip to the Oregon Coast as a birthday gift to myself. If you know me at all, you know the ocean is my happy place. But it’s not only that. It is a place where I encounter God time and time again.
The trip coincided with a time of fasting and prayer that our church was doing. Not dining out or enjoying seafood while on the coast?! That seemed ludicrous! However, I had already decided to do this with my small group and wanted to honor that commitment even if I was out of town.
Twenty-four hours of fasting turned into 3 days because I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in a way I hadn’t in a long time. All I wanted to do was spend time praying and worshipping as God spoke to me through His Word, through the crashing waves, and in a small voice that wasn’t audible, but very recognizable.
I wrote pages and pages and pages in my journal. I read through the scriptures of Isaiah, copying down verses about redemption and hope. I wanted some specific answers about what was next. But I kept hearing God just say, “Prepare.” “Get prepared.”
[You should see my journal. It’s so messy from furiously writing that it’s barely legible! But circled over and over is the word prepare that kept coming back to me.]
It didn’t matter the details. God was, and still is, preparing my heart and life for what is next.
From that time with Him, I’ve streamlined areas of my business so I’m not tied to the day-to-day. I’ve been preparing physically through exercise. I’ve been preparing emotionally through therapy. I’ve been preparing spiritually through scripture memorization.
For now, what’s next is being part of a group of women going to the Philippines to encourage other women; what’s next is spreading the hope and love of Jesus as I pray with and for others; what’s next is getting involved again in youth ministry because they are our future and need Godly support more than ever.
After my encounter with the Holy Spirit in March, this verse became my phone lock screen (and posted on my bathroom mirror): “Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you’” (Joshua 3:5).
Tomorrow is coming. Tomorrow is also here. I am preparing. I am being prepared. And I’m excited for what God has next.
Lord, I say Hineni.
