Today has been simple.
Today has been a day of renewal.. much needed renewal.
The Hasenyagers have graciously opened up their house for Courtney and I to stay at last night and today as they are camping. We watched three movies yesterday. Ate pizza, chocolate, Gobstoppers, and popsicles. Drank coffee and Dr. Pepper. And slept until our heart's desire.
Today has been spent soaking up the rays of sunshine and conversing with the Lord. Both so lovely and yet leaving a slight sting. I'm left with tender shoulders and a sense that I am holding onto something, trusting in something that will fail me.
Today I read about Jacob and Rachel and the love he had for her in Genesis 29. "So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her (v. 20)." Whoa. How crazy must this guy be for a girl that seven years.. seven years seemed like a few days? (That's a kind of love that I long for, that I need..) If you think that's love.. then what do you make of God sending His only Son to this wretched place we call "home", to die a torturous death on the cross, but not only that.. to have the just wrath of God poured out on Him because He let the all the terrible things that you, I, and the entire world do cover Him and weigh on Him. But thanks be to God, that He, Jesus, and the Spirit have the power to overcome death.. to overpower all those terrible things we do. That His love is greater than death.
Now.. that is Love.
This past weekend Outdoorsmen Church spent it camping at Holland Lake.
The purpose for us interns and leaders at the church was to build relationships. Harder than you think.. than I thought. I have been given a specific ministry to the teenage girls. The Hasenyager girls (Hannah, Naomi, and Becca) have been so welcoming and encouraging during my time here, but reaching out to the other middle and high schoolers seems.. well, a mountain.
Last Wednesday I awkwardly approached two girls between dinner and the service. My only thought was "Talk to someone. Look! There are two high school girls.. go introduce yourself to them!" So I did. And I felt like a fool. I didn't think through what I would say to them but acted on pure impulse. Prayer hadn't been my top priority the previous days and this conversation needed to be drenched with it. They came this weekend and I didn't say a single word to them (definitely not one of my finer moments).
It's like I'm having to relearn how to trust God and how to pray here in Montana. Every day I'm told how inadequate, worthless, and powerless I am... that I will never make a difference in Montana, College Station, or the rest of the world. Those whispers, which are starting to sound like screams, are true. But they leave out such a key element that makes it Truth... with God, the Lord of hosts, the beautiful Creator.. with Jesus, my strong Savior, my everlasting fortress.. with the Spirit that ever intercedes for me, brings me wisdom, and encourages me.. with Him filling in where I fall short.. I am complete. I am full of worth. I am powerful. I can make a difference in Montana, College Station, and the World.
This Wednesday I will start a small group discipleship with Hannah, Naomi, Becca and Makayla (I'm not sure if that's how you spell it). I'm thankful that these are girls that I have talked to more than once.. who act like they want to talk to me, but my hope is that other girls will come. Courtney and I spent some time talking with four girls this weekend.. Kelsie, Kylie, Zara, and Jenny (I could be misspelling all of these..). It was good, they were sweet but we're not sure where they stand with the Lord.
Pray for all these girls and the two that I need to talk to again (Katie and Ashlyn). Pray that they would genuinely see their need for Jesus and be willing to reach out for Him. Pray that satan would stop telling me and my teammates lies. Pray that his strongholds would be destroyed.
Last Thursday, Courtney and I were able to get lunch with a 19 year old girl named Jaime. She'll be here a few more weeks. Pray that we would be able to hang out with her again and that our next conversation would be seasoned with the Spirit.
Later that night, we also met a 26 year old girl named Joy after the service. She's big into running and lives super close to the Daniels (our host family). Hopefully we'll have a chance to go running, hiking, or just hangout sometime soon. Pray that God will give us another opportunity to talk with her this Thursday.
Also, I found out last Friday, right before leaving, that a friend from high school's father passed away. Pray comfort over his family and that in the midst of this tragedy God would be glorified.
" 'Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!' The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. " -Psalm 46:10-11
Maddie, Naomi, Hannah and Lyn
The view as Courtney and I took Becca and Makayla on Rhino ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment