First things first, I'll start with the present. Each fall our church has a missions conference, during which time a speaker comes for several days and talks about the importance of missions, and shares practical applications, amazing stories from their lives, and specific ministries to support. This year's speaker is Richard Sharp, an engaging British man with a thick accent and a heart for the Lord. The guy is great to listen to, and can hold your attention for quite some time.
During the church service on Sunday morning, he presented the One Wish challenge to us, posing the question, If you could wish one thing from God today for you, what would it be? He had us turn to a neighbor and ask each other what our one wish would be, then he had us each say a sentence prayer for the other, for our specific wish. It was super cool and just brought a lot of joy along with it.
Now to cover everything from these crazy past few weeks.
Ah, the All Sons and Daughters concert. If you've never listened to All Sons and Daughters... you're missing out. They are an incredible modern Christian folk duo, and they came to town a couple weeks ago, performing at Malone's Johnson Center. A group of friends from church piled into a fifteen passenger van and headed up to the concert, and we were blessed by the great night of worship.
Tim Timmons opened the evening, followed by the main performers, and the night was just a wonderful, Christ-centered night of worship. We had Communion, spent time in prayer, and sung our hearts out to our great God... Which was somewhat challenging for me, because that evening I came down with a bad cold and cough, and spent the night miserably cold, with a sore throat and achy body, and I was just all-around exhausted.
But God came through and kept presenting me with just the right songs, reminding me that He is in control and bringing me peace amid my sickness and weakness. It was awesome being reminded of how big my God is, and how far too often I let myself get in the way of Him and His glory. My favorite part of the night was the way they ended the concert; with candles giving off the only light in the room and the simple strumming of an acoustic guitar, the chapel was filled with the ringing of voices singing:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship,
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus.
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it,
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus.
It was powerful, collectively and individually declaring that it's all about Him and not about us, not about me, when so often I reverse the roles and try to make it about me. I was distracted with worries about myself and my own feelings, concerned with my sore throat and swollen glands. When all that really mattered was God. He's still teaching me that it's all about Him and not about me; sometimes it's a struggle to let go of the little things and not get bothered by my wants, desires, and feelings. It's a continuous learning process, and I only pray that I can keep my focus on Him.
~
A weekend or so ago, my family made the trek out to Bluffton to take in a soccer game and visit with my cousins and some friends who attend school at Bluffton. It was fun getting to see them again; it was a gorgeous fall day and the campus is so beautiful. Being on campus got me excited for college, and got me pondering even more questions about my future... wondering where I'll be next year this time, what relationships I'll start with people I haven't even met yet, and what exactly I'll be doing with my nineteenth year of life. It's slightly scary to think about, yet fun and exciting at the same time.
I feel like I'm jumping around like crazy tonight. But I promise I'm almost done :)
It is so refreshing to be reunited with friends. I cannot say that enough. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I am a believer in the cliche. Of course, I'd rather not be separated from so many important people in my life by physical distance, but since that's the way it is, I couldn't ask for better friends to stay connected with. The weekends my boyfriend comes home from school are some of my favorite times to look forward to, and I always look forward to the exciting memories we make... whether it's being with our families, watching movies on my porch, or spontaneously visiting a pig farm, (because "we like pigs..." :)), it's always an adventure with Noah. I'm so thankful for the time we get to spend together. Then there's my other college friends, who always brighten my day when they come home for visits. This past weekend was so refreshing. Several college buddies from my church were home, so a group of us got together to hang out and enjoy each other's company. We laughed so much, swapped advice, watched a movie, and just enjoyed being together again. As I thought about it this weekend, I realized how truly blessed I am by my church family. If it weren't for my church, I'd be missing out on relationships with so many fantastic people.
Lastly, as I've continued praying and seeking wisdom about God's plans for my life, I happened upon some verses from Psalm 143 last night that couldn't have been a more perfect replica of my prayers...
Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul. (v. 8)
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
on level ground! (vs. 10)
These verses were perfect, calling out to God for guidance in a path that seems unclear. These words are still very much my prayer today, calling to the God who does not change, but who remains constant and will always come through.
Be encouraged today, knowing that you are loved by a God who is bigger than the unknown. Be blessed, and be a blessing.
-MM
No comments:
Post a Comment