My name is Taletha, I’ve lived in Madison for 9 years, and I am a self-proclaimed Christian. But, hey let’s be honest with each other, I don’t introduce myself that way. I’m a somewhat normal (with an obsession with microwave popcorn) high school graduate. Some days I feel like I’ve got it all figured out: I’ll go on this “fun and eye-opening” trip to Romania where I will meet new people and become besties with my friends from home. Then I’ll go to college and then change the world in one way or another. But, let’s think about what I’m saying. I can honestly say, all the lofty dreams I have are attached to my pride, a pride that can say “Look at me. I go on mission trips and save people. I am so awesome.”

Ok, let’s back up. That is the most screwed up attitude ever. Literally. That pride keeps me from having real experiences and therefore not letting Christ work in my life. What if I left all of those reservations for the trip behind? What if I truly opened myself up to change? – The change that Christ has in store for each of us in every worldly experience. These are questions I have been working on for years and will continue to work on for my entire life. Pride is a road block. On www.givenlife.com, the article “Surrendering Pride” says, “To escape from pride, we need to humble ourselves completely to God and to realize that we need to be completely obedient and dependent upon Him for our every need.” God wants us to give him everything, including our pride. We want to move towards having pride in the LORD, not in our own actions because God is the one who enabled us to do those things. Amen!

While I constantly struggle with pride, I question my self-worth. I believe there are always times in life when we look up and ask God the same question: “Why?” Why do they have so little and I have so much? Why does that person have a better house or car than me? God, why am I even here? While, I can’t provide any answers to your “why questions” or even my own, perhaps I can provide a sort of solace for you.

I was in Chicago several months ago learning about God and justice. We look at the world through our own human eyes, not the eyes of an omniscient and omnipresent God. How can we ever understand Christ’s justice? We are not able to comprehend the concept. So, we don’t know answers to “why questions” and that sucks. We like having reasons for everything, just like a young child constantly asking questions of how the world works. But, my solace to you is that God does understand what we can never understand ourselves: why everything happens the way it does and why I am going to Romania with HSM in a month.

God has given me blessing after blessing in life, including my life itself. I was born with a condition that kept me from being able to eat by mouth. My parents work for a Christian organization and at the time of my birth had connections and friends across the country and the world. They send out newsletters and prayer requests, which were answered in droves. I still find myself meeting old family friends who express that they prayed for me as a baby. Out of the many side effects of the condition, I have failed to have any of them. God truly preserved my life as well as he is preserving yours as you read this.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” See! God tells us there is purpose and there is hope for our lives! All we have to do is, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 ) Lord, help us to trust in you with this trip and to open ourselves up to the plans you have for us.

I invite you to continue praying for our team as we fundraise and as we shed our expectations and reservations for our GO Team trip to Romania. Pray that our pride can be recolored into pride in our LORD.

Thank you for reading this obnoxiously long post,

Taletha Ann, a prideful, skittles eating Christian