Reflections are About Today

"As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart."-Proverbs 27:19

This weekend marks an entire year since I met some of the most amazing people the Lord could have ever possibly blessed me with, started a new chapter of my life, delved deeper into my relationship with Jesus, and made a complete fool out of myself at Cru Fall Retreat. The funny thing about time is that it continues to go on. So at this point in time as I sit here at this years Fall Retreat I can't help reflect and apply to today. 

Reflection is so much less about yesterday as it is about tomorrow and the days in the Lord to come. Last year at this time I was hoping for those friends I had always hoped for, the type of friends I could share my faith with entirely and relate on a whole different level. Little did I know the Lord had so much in store for me. The speaker that weekend was none other than Tyler Jones. I mention this because what Tyler said resonated so much with me then and carried into my life today; at this very moment in this new season of my life. Tyler spoke on Freedom; and not in the sense that we are free in the United states to do such and such, but what it is really like to be FREE in the Lord. In Galatians 5:16 it says, "But I say walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." To me this speaks so much in that we have the amazing honor to walk in the spirit and that we are free of the works of the world. God is so amazing that he provides us with such a freedom that cannot be earned. 

In everything we have ever done the Lord has been there and so of course he is there today, right now. We will never be alone to reflect on a lonely life. Not a single moment should we spend time think about what could have been but what is because of what was. We are here in this very moment for a purpose and what a purpose that is. So what work is the Lord doing right now? It is so beautifully expressed in Ephesians 2:22, "In him you are also being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." So as we are being built we are building the kingdom in turn. Currently I am letting the Lord live in me and through me and seeing what he has in store for me as I do his will. 

Like Tyler Jones said at that Fall Retreat Just a year ago; we either allow the Spirit to change us or we hinder him from doing so...but regardless we cannot lose our Salvation because by the grace of God we are FREE. So wherever we stand at any given time we can reflect on certain points in our lives that made great impacts or were a turning point and apply them to today to live in the freedom that is God's grace. God never stops pursuing us, not for a single moment did he ever and he will never. "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you."- Psalm 22:27 Wow. God is imminently transcendent and transcendentally imminent. Isn't it so true that life is inconvenient and confusingly unexpected? Of  course it is but as we reflect upon yesterday we see today's purpose and that in itself is something so beautiful. 

"And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."- 2 Timothy 2:2 

The Words that are Written on my Heart

"You have a unique message to deliver, a unique song to sing, a unique act of love to bestow. This message, this song, and this act of love have been entrusted exclusively to the one and only you." - John Powell 

I am a writer. I might not be a writer in the sense that I get up everyday and work on a novel that I dreamt up one night and continue to get ideas for in my sleep. I also might not be a writer in the sense that I get an amazing grade on all the papers I have been assigned to write for odd classes here and there. In fact in neither of those senses am I a writer. When it comes to writing I write what comes to my heart and that is not always the task but I feel as though it is my task. I have about a journal a year from when I was thirteen full of who knows what to testify that sometimes my writing was just merely for writing itself. Whenever I write the Lord is ever-present and in that sense that is why I continue to write and I think that is why I am a writer and have been since I could remember. 

Not until recently did I discover some of the things I had written years ago in different stages of my life. Only then did I realize I always had that desire to write and share my love for love and Jesus because when it  comes to God's love and that happiness, it really is not much unless you can share it with someone. When you think about it that is what we are called to do each and every day. John 13:34 is perhaps one of the most memorable verses in the bible about loving one another, "just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another." Now the Lord never said that was going to be easy in no passage in the bible did the Lord say that was easy. Whether it be in my writing, friendships, everyday interactions with people, or whatever it may be it might not always be received in the way we hope or intend. But is anything? No. it isn't but that is perfectly normal. So normal in fact that we should not be phased...well no in fact we will always be phased but that should never stop you from voicing or writing those words that are on your heart. 

Just to enlighten you on what Lauren from July 3, 2012 had to say about writing the words that were so much on her heart...

Dear Journal, 

When I decide I want to write in my journal I realize I usually end up writing to God! Which in itself is not that surprising because God is my center and he is amazing. God is all I hope for and all I truly care about. In this particular point in my life I am beginning to have to make more decisions about my future and honestly that kind of scares me to think that life is going by so fast.... I am so blessed and incredibly thankful for what the Lord has given me. It doesn't particularly bother me as much as it once did that I don't have a boyfriend. I know that the Lord has a plan for that part of my life. Waiting makes me feel like the outcome is just going to be that much more special....I can't wait to just live each day growing closer to the Lord and trusting in him more and more. I myself promise to ALWAYS live and love forever for Jesus. HE deserves our honesty, fairness, trust, kindness, gentleness, and everything we have.

 Lauren

               

Just this passage from my journal tells me and whomever may be reading now, that of course I was struggling then with some very minor things but I was still turning to the Lord and writing about it. As we all can do, I chose to share it. Each and every moment of our lives is written out in this amazing book that is our lives, we don't have the power to write that but we do have the ability to write what is on our heart in each of those moments. "...I am writing out the plan in them, carving it out on their hearts. I'll be their God...they will know me."- Hebrews 8:10-11 God's plan is written on our hearts and because of that we know him! How intensely awesome is that? Because even with that the Lord has given us the ability to know him and in that we have so much to say, I know I have so much to say. 

From day one in our hearts that yearning to share love and happiness with others was placed. So... 

I write. 

I sing. 

I love because the Lord loves me. 

What do you do? How can you share the love of the one who loves you immeasurably more than your heart could ever hope or imagine? "Go into the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."- Mark 16:15 Brothers and sisters I love you! I cannot wait to meet all of your beautiful souls in heaven so we can forever praise and rejoice in that crazy love we have read, written about, and yearned for all of lives. 

"And let us not grow weary of doing good (sharing that love with others), for in due season we will all come home, if we do not give up!"

Shine Bright through the Highs and the Lows

A Not So Easy Time Makes The Relationship Stronger...

Recently I have been having a time with the Lord and his plan for my life, and for the right now. Currently I am off doing my best working to shine his light at the KOA in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. What I didn't realize until quite recently is that every day can be a battle. Maintaining that light amongst the darkness and shining bright when circumstances aren't ideal has always been present but I don't think that I quite realized the full force of that until I jumped head first into this mission experience. Each and every day is a new opportunity to see his works in the least likely places. 

It seems as though everywhere I turn I know that what I see and feel is that the atmosphere in this place is severely lacking God's love and light. What is more amazing than God's love? It is incredibly difficult, it is a daily battle to push through and know that I am not working for a worldly person. Everything we do is for the glory of the Lord who loves us more than we could ever begin to imagine. Today and this past week have been a little bit more on the challenging side. I have to keep reminding myself I am here to carry out the Lord's plan for my life. A verse that my activities director brought up at our bible study speaks to what we are doing here so perfectly, "for all who have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."-Romans 3:23-24 This exemplifies that no matter what we all sin and fall short of the glory of God and that even through that the Lord loves us so deeply and gives us immeasurable grace. It plays so much in to the atmosphere here, that no matter who you are or what you have done you are justified by God's grace and that is amazing.

Where we are here it is imperative that we keep in mind that however different we may be from our coworkers we can't look down upon them or belittle them or each other. For our purpose is to shine God's light and share his love; keeping our heads up and pushing through the undesirable circumstances that we may face. "the Spirit helps us in our weakness..."-Romans 4:26 Every single day in whatever weakness you may face the Holy Spirit is there within you giving you the strength to carry out his will. God is so good. All the time he is good. 

This opportunity to work here with other SummerShiners has truly made me realize that it is about the work we are doing it is about how we do that work and who we are doing it for. Good works are wonderful and great but unless they are in the name of the Lord they don't hold the merit that they should. Hebrews 6:10 says, "God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." Even as we work for the glory of the Lord for his people we ourselves are growing and that is amazing.

I have already learned so much about myself in this process and it amazes me everyday how present the Holy Spirit really is in everything we do. "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."-Romans 5:5 I love this verse so much because the fact that the Holy Spirit is so tangible in our lives means everything. God has poured out his love that we too may love his children. I think it is so important in this mission field and any mission field that we know that it isn't about the work itself and how well we can do it but how we can do it with the Holy Spirit flowing in us to glorify our Heavenly Father.

The way I have discovered that I work is with my heart. I could be doing the lest desirable task, cleaning some bathroom with some of my amazing SummerShine family members, and smile and deep belly laugh because no matter what God is present and so so good. How blessed are we to be given the opportunity to serve our Heavenly Father? I know that right now I want to focus on cultivating friendships and working for the glory of the Lord even when it is approximately 100 degrees outside and I am walking around drunk from heat exhaustion. God blesses us everyday so I want to use what I have to glorify him in any way that I can even though that is harder than I could have ever imagined.

This season of my life is for working for the Lord as the Holy Spirit flows through me. I have prayed for who knows how long for things to become apparent in my life and right now all that I know for sure is that I can't even comprehend what the Lord is using me for but I do know that I love being the body. Of course I fail but failing or messing up an easy task only makes me want to work harder. God is amazing and he knows, he loves, he does, and he calls all times soon (even in the darkest places). My God is a loving God who holds me on days when I feel down and comforts me and gives me guidance when I don't know what to do or how to handle a situation. "Though the mountains be shaken (the heat be unbearable) and the hills be removed (and the work be difficult), yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken..."-Isaiah 54:10 No matter what God's love is unfailing, no matter the highs or the lows we may face, God is good and in that we can shine his light bright. We are the body and the lights in the darkness. That excites me and scares me, but I have been called and so have you. With the strength and love of the Lord we can do it.
Always and forever.

I am ready.
My mission, our mission for Christ Jesus who is undeniably righteous and in him we are so.