On this trip, my life has been changed
more than I could have ever expected beforehand. My life was
changed on the first trip I went on here two years ago, but for some reason I thought that
the spiritual feeling would "cool down" or something on this trip. But honestly it is incomparable. I was
worried I wouldn't get as much out of it and I went into it
not expecting as much. I return today with my expectations
blown open.
The power of our God to work through our
lives is always inspiring, but the way in which He does it is
sometimes even more so. The people He surrounded me with on
this trip are each individually some of the best, most
genuinely God-abiding, loving people I have ever had the
pleasure and honor of meeting and getting to build a personal
relationship with in Christ. The way in which they have
conducted themselves and worked and grown as a team to bring
people closer to God, including each other, has been an
absolutely amazing thing to watch. I know I could never have
asked God for a more perfect mission trip group because I
know there has never been one. I have befriended nearly
everyone on this trip, which is amazing considering the fact
that one week ago I hardly knew most of these outstanding
individuals personally. But our God does great things and He
has definitely introduced some amazing people into my life
that I never want to let go of.
I thanked God every day of this mission
trip for the opportunity He blessed me with, and I know that
He will continue to bless me in potential future mission
trips and spiritual endeavors, but none can be quite like
this one. The way that God channels His Love through His
children is beautiful. Sometimes I can't sufficiently explain
all the love I feel from God at one moment, but I don't need
to, and I don't want to. I don't want to be able to explain
everything. I used to struggle with this, but God has given
me eyes to see that the works that He does are not meant to
always be understood. Nothing about God is quite meant to be
fully understood in the way that we can't explain everything.
But that's what makes praising Him so awesome. He has no
limits like our simple brains do. His Love has no conditions
like our human love does. His strength has no end like any
amount of mortal strength does. We may not be able to
comprehend why He does what He does, how He does what He
does, or anything like that, but isn't His Love enough? Isn't
it enough that He's given us a life to live even though we
are so harshly undeserving? Isn't He miraculous enough to
where questions don't matter? I'm not suggesting that it is
wrong to question faith in Him sometimes (as it is perfectly
normal), but why would you?? Isn't His Love enough of an
answer?
I am sure everyone on this mission trip
would agree, and everyone who pursues an active relationship
with our One True Father and King knows that His Love is THE
answer... to it all. To life. To every intermediate step in
life. To those little struggles we have daily. To those
larger struggles we may have over the course of years. His
Love is the answer for why we live our lives how we do, even
in the bad. Not because He has something against us. Not
because He favors some of His children over others (I can
assure you He does not, no matter who you are or what you've
done). Not because He intends for pain to break us and push
us away from Him. He is not deserving of this blame. Whether
we realize it or not, everything that happens in our lives,
the good and the bad, is a part of His Plan for our us. And
it is His Love that directs the current of our lives. It is
His Love that allows things to take place to make us stronger
people. It is His Love that gives us experiences, especially
bad ones, that may be shared with others to bring them closer
to Him. God gives us a crutch in others to lean on so we do
not feel alone. We all sin. We know we do bad things. And we
will continue to throughout the course of our lives. But that
doesn't mean we cannot be good sons and daughters of
Christ.
God did not make us to be perfect in all
that we do. He made us to struggle. He made us to doubt. He
made us to worry. But that's what faith is all about. Without
hardship, we would have no reason to doubt Him. We would be
compelled to follow Him. But He wants to give us a choice,
and in doing so, He makes us stronger people by teaching us
lessons that sometimes cannot be learned or taught in any
other way. Although God made us to worry, struggle, and
doubt, He also made us to love! How amazing it is that we can
have a personal relationship with our Father in Heaven! It is
His Love alone that compelled Him to send His Son to die for
us. And it is His Mercy in sending that Son to save us from
our sins. So although we may continue to sin, and continue to
think we are pushing ourselves away from Him, we are actually
always there in His embrace if we are willing to realize it.
In fact, we actually move closer to God in our wrongs. They
are powerful lessons to be learned that have the potential to
transform not only your faith, but the faith of others,
should you choose to admit your wrongs and learn from them.
Sometimes we feel like we are drifting away from God. In
those times we may not act as godly; however, in reality, He
is resting in our heart with open arms should we choose to
run back into them. He gives us unfailing, unconditional
Love. He gives us the path to eternal Life. He gives us a
choice. My choice is to follow Him. Based upon the amazing
experiences I have been able to behold, and my life-changing
revelations on this trip, I know that that Love of His,
simply to give us the choice, is enough of an answer for me.
And it is for you, if you embrace that Love and Grace that He
shines over you.
So no, my spirituality is not "cooling
down," and my awe for the works He has done on this trip has
opened my eyes even wider to His perfect Love. God has
blessed me with these amazing people to surround myself with,
and together, we are a team. Even as we return to Forsyth
County and hop back into our "normal" lives, we are still a
team, inseparable by the strong Hand and Heart of God. And we
will continue to serve Him with hand and heart to bring His
Love to the world together. We are a team doing a great work
and we cannot come down. Even when we feel like we may be the
only ones doing His work sometimes, nothing we do for Him is
done alone.
We are lights in the darkness,
illuminating the world together. We are little flames,
burning bright and passionately, each with a fire for Jesus
Our Savior. How wrong I was to think this Crazy Love, this
powerful inspirational Spirit, would "cool down." As we each
shine our little lights for Him brightly and distinctly, we
form a much greater flame, one that can be seen on a large
scale in this world full of darkness. He has given us the
potential to go out and change the world with His Love, and I
personally am going to make the most of that opportunity. As
we move through this beautiful life, igniting others
spiritually to live as fires for God, we inch closer to the
entrance to an eternal life that we have been promised, one
in His perfect Kingdom. The end of His worldly Path for each
of us approaches faster than we realize. But in terms of His
promised Eternity, this is just the beginning.
"I am doing a great work and I cannot come down..." (Nehemiah 3:6).
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