Kiss from Heaven

It was a long day, mostly full of being an adult even when I didn’t want to. I got home upset, tired, and sore from a pulled muscle, and sat on my bed to prepare for having coffee with a friend. Taking deep breaths I readied myself to do my thing; listen, have good questions for them, and serve/uplift them in any way I could. You can imagine how surprised I was then, when they beat me to it! My friend insisted on driving, opening doors, making me go first, and even bought my coffee and pastry. They sat patiently listening to me, and asking about my life. My friend really truly cared! Sitting here now, I could just about cry thinking about how weird and fantastic it felt to have someone actually care about me the way I usually care about others (and probably do it better!). It was like I was special. Really special, someone worthy of special attention. I felt totally unworthy of such love. Even if it never happens again, I savored every moment. I was so blessed, it was like a kiss from heaven. I'll make sure to pass that on to others. :) 

And God Moved in Us; Jars of Clay

The spirit moved on us some time ago (see April 7th), and the Lord never fails to do as He says. More than we even imagined by far. This summer we ran over 120 teens for Revolution, it was amazing. We prepared the place, and God brought the people. To say we were prepared is a gross overstatement, but as a tight knit and hard working team we bolstered up each Tuesday night for six weeks to make it happen. After that we brought over 80 teens, four hours to our district youth camp. I am amazed and humbled by God and how he gives us what we desire, and what He has told us He is planning. The season is here, and I still don’t know what my roll is, but I am excited for it, even just to support in a small why what He is doing. I wish I could do this instead of work and get paid! If I could do this for the rest of my life, I think I would be ever so happy. Still, I find myself a little ill content. This is probably a failing of my own. I want peace, now I must pursue it with some effort.

Part of my discontent is also the jr. high ministry though. While we run good numbers, quite good despite the summer months being upon us, we struggle to facilitate a real passionate group. There is nothing in me that is content with it being a program; something to occupy them while their parents worship. I want for them to truly see Jesus, a Jesus most of them still don’t know or understand. Why risk? Why give it all if you don’t know Him really? I want to show them, but I don’t know how to. Maybe I need to learn to risk more, to think outside the box. I have ideas, but no idea how to practically bring them about. In my opinion we need three things still: Salvation, Cohesion, and Vision/Passion. They need to see Jesus, meet him in a real way, connect with each other (though service one has less problem here), and truly buy into the vision.

No one promised this would all be easy, far from it, we were promised a fire-storm. God is always there though, and we work toward His aim, facilitate His love and His mission. What else is there for me to do? 

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a] made his light shine in our hearts... But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Cor 4