I can't even everything that's happened this year. I've done so much, experienced so many new things, grown so much. It all happened in not even a year. The second semester itself was intense. The first half was great! It was very joyous and God was doing some amazing things. The second half, God was testing me and trying me. Things were really hard the whole time, but looking back, I see it as a time of growth. I could go into more detail but, it's really something that you'd have to talk to me about it person. It has a lot to do with a few other people, and I'd rather not talk about it here.
I will say more generally what I've learned. I think everything as a whole has been God teaching me to trust him. I've learned to know why I believe what I believe. He's just taught me so much about him, and I've come to see that he needs to be in control and I should seek to please him only. I'm not here for anything in this world, if I'm trying to make people happy, I have nothing. "Set your mind on things above, not the things of this world." (Colossians 3:2) Our society is so consumed and fed up with things. It's called consumerism. How many people have a cell phone, i-pod, TV, laptop etc? I even have a cell phone and a laptop, but we so often get things without even thinking about it. Do we really need the new i-pod? How would my life change with it, or without it? What if we didn't have the cool new technology "toys" (I'll call them)? It makes me to sick to think how easily Christians (including myself) fall into the trap of having stuff. Yes, these things are nice, and they're good to have every once in a while. And yes, many things can be helpful in church and spreading the gospel. What's not okay is when it consumes us. I challenge everyone reading this to evaluate your life, and the things you have. This world is so meaningless, and what if we die tomorrow? What will I have gained by having the best laptop, i-pod, phone etc.?
When Jesus called his disciples, he asked them to leave everything behind. How many of us could do that? Just up and leave our home, lives, our stuff, our friends, and family. But isn't that what God wants us to do? "Let us throw off everything that so easily entangles us, and run with perseverance, the race that is marked out before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2) That's the challenge for my life, and I would hope for yours.
But God is good. He will give us everything we need. Just what we need. Recently, I've been struck by the words to the song "This is Our God" by Hillsong.
Freely You gave it all for us, surrendered your life upon that cross. Great is Your love, poured out for all, this is our God.
Lifted on high from death to life, forever our God is glorified, sovereign king, rescued the world, this is our God!How powerful is that? This is the God we worship, and the God we serve. He is greater than any other, and if we truely love him, we would be willing to give up some of ourselves for him. To bless his name. To bless means to becomes less so he can become greater. (John 3:30) He will provide all of our needs, so we don't need to worry or fret about tomorrow. He is greater than that.
Now, I want to share a little about my plans for the summer. I will be working with an organization called Group Mission trips where I will be working with youth all summer long, as they do a "short term mission/ outreach trip. My job is to partner with all the ministries in the local community in which we will be serving. They have camps all over the US. First, I will be traveling to Colorado for staff training, and then they'll send us out for the summer. There's around 100 other summer staff, and there will be about 25,000 youth this summer This is an absolute amazing experience for me, and it was incredible how God worked things out so I could get this job. I don't even know what I'm getting into, but I know God will bless it, as I am stepping out on faith. So I hope to update this summer from my blog, and share some things that are going on. I'm not sure how much time I'll have for it, because I basically only get time off on the weekends. It will be intense, but very rewarding.
If you could pray for me and the other staff this summer, that would be awesome! I leave in a little less than 3 weeks, so just pray for God to prepare my heart for ministry, and for God to work in the lives of youth this summer. Pray that he will not only prepare my heart, but the youth as well.
Thank you all for reading this, I appreciate it. Feel free to comment and tell me if you hate it or if it was encouraging. May God's grace be with you.
