Today was a great day!! We started out the day with a soup kitchen in the heart of Harlem. The Soul Saving Station was awesome. I got the chance to talk to a lady named Carol and hear her story. It is amazing the variety of people you meet when you volunteer and the amount you can learn. This lady is a part time security guard, has three kids and has lived in NY her entire life. She was not homeless but she just needed a good meal and the place we were at provided that need.
The SSS did a great job of spending an hour sharing God’s Word and worshiping. I heard a saying before and I realized how true it was today, “The love of God should have been preached before anyone ever takes a seat to listen to a preacher say a word.” The group that I am with has done a great job just talking to and relating to the people who have come to this SSS. They came for food and found people who were willing to love them, talk to them and just hear their story with sincere compassion.
This evening we had a change of plans. We were scheduled to do a mission called “Glory Train” but instead we went to the Brooklyn Tabernacle’s Youth group called Transitions. Man, what a word that was spoken to us. The youth leader talked about temptations. As Christians we face so many temptations and they can lead to some serious downfalls in our lives if we allow them to take control of our lives. I wish that I could have a recording of it to share because I feel like temptations are all around us and everyone has one in particular that they struggle with on a daily basis.
After the youth group meeting ended our group went out to eat at a local place and had great food and conversation. When most people were finished eating we had a chance to share with the group something that we felt like we had learned that day/week. Every night during the trip we try to get together and do this but tonight it just felt like more people were touched by what had happened that day. It was really cool to see some of the guys get up a share some real stuff that they had seen that truly affected them. Powerful.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
NYC Mission Trip: Day 6, 03/17/2011
Today might have been one of the most important days of the week. Today, I slept. I don’t mean that I took a nap for an hour, I mean; I slept almost all day long. I woke up to eat breakfast at seven and then slept until twelve. I got up and ate lunch, read for awhile and then went to sleep until dinner. I even went to bed early and had no problem sleeping through the night.
I used to think that if you were on a mission trip or volunteering somewhere that you had to be in constant motion all of the time. I learned quickly that not only is this not true but often you become ineffective because you are tired and exhausted emotionally. God says to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, but what if we don’t even take care of our needs. How effective can you be when you are broken versus when you are working on all cylinders?
Because I rested, I got to fulfill needs that my body, mind and soul needed. A day of rest meant that my body feels rested and ready to move the world. My mind feels refreshed emotionally and I have had time to process all that has gone on and will continue happening the rest of the week. My soul has had time to reconnect with the One who created it. I have enjoyed my day of rest but I am so ready to get back to work serving others. So, remember this, even God rested one day of the week, I think that His example is a good one to follow.
I used to think that if you were on a mission trip or volunteering somewhere that you had to be in constant motion all of the time. I learned quickly that not only is this not true but often you become ineffective because you are tired and exhausted emotionally. God says to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, but what if we don’t even take care of our needs. How effective can you be when you are broken versus when you are working on all cylinders?
Because I rested, I got to fulfill needs that my body, mind and soul needed. A day of rest meant that my body feels rested and ready to move the world. My mind feels refreshed emotionally and I have had time to process all that has gone on and will continue happening the rest of the week. My soul has had time to reconnect with the One who created it. I have enjoyed my day of rest but I am so ready to get back to work serving others. So, remember this, even God rested one day of the week, I think that His example is a good one to follow.
Friday, March 18, 2011
NYC Mission Trip: Day 5, 03/16/2011
Sometimes as a volunteer you feel like you need to be directly in contact with the person you are serving, on the front lines so to speak. But, what most people need to learn, myself included, is that some of the most powerful ways that you can affect those in need is to do some of the tasks that are done behind the scenes.
This morning our group got to go serve at Bethel Food Pantry. Three quarters of our group was either in the kitchen or helping restock their food pantry. Only one quarter of our group was actually a part of the food service team. Only one quarter got to actually meet the people who we were serving. ONE QUARTER!!! Yet, the people we served would not have gotten the service they did if the other three quarters had not done their part. Someone had to prepare the food(wash potatoes, cut potatoes, chop onions, chop peppers, cut chicken), someone had to cook the food, someone had to put the food in the individual containers, someone had to wash dishes, dry dishes, put juice into cups, stock the pantry, clean up etc….. If someone did not do all of these things behind the scenes, no one would have gotten served in the first place. I never got to interact with the people we were serving at the food pantry but I definitely felt God in the work that I was doing. Washing potatoes might have been the job that I was tasked with completing but it was love that became the product of my work. After all, Jesus came to serve, why shouldn’t we?
Tonight we got to minister to the homeless. No matter how many times I do something like this I am always a little bit nervous but I never worry. God has always made a way for me to talk to someone and has always led our group to the right people. I got to talk to two different guys, Larry and Al. They were two totally different people and yet I could connect to them both very easily. Larry’s parents were from VA so that was an easy in to start talking to him and Al was a War Vet so that made it easy to talk to him. Like everyone else in the world, they just wanted someone to talk to them and listen to what they had to say. It is amazing the perspective that can be gained when you talk to someone who most consider to have nothing.
In society we today we are so blessed. Most of us do not have to worry about our next meal, where we are going to sleep or if we will get any water the next day. Our lives are so blessed yet some of us have found ourselves feeling like we are lacking something in life. I have found that the biggest influence on how my day goes is the perspective that I have going into the day. People would pay to have our kind of problems. Remember how lucky you are to live where you live and to eat what you eat.
This morning our group got to go serve at Bethel Food Pantry. Three quarters of our group was either in the kitchen or helping restock their food pantry. Only one quarter of our group was actually a part of the food service team. Only one quarter got to actually meet the people who we were serving. ONE QUARTER!!! Yet, the people we served would not have gotten the service they did if the other three quarters had not done their part. Someone had to prepare the food(wash potatoes, cut potatoes, chop onions, chop peppers, cut chicken), someone had to cook the food, someone had to put the food in the individual containers, someone had to wash dishes, dry dishes, put juice into cups, stock the pantry, clean up etc….. If someone did not do all of these things behind the scenes, no one would have gotten served in the first place. I never got to interact with the people we were serving at the food pantry but I definitely felt God in the work that I was doing. Washing potatoes might have been the job that I was tasked with completing but it was love that became the product of my work. After all, Jesus came to serve, why shouldn’t we?
Tonight we got to minister to the homeless. No matter how many times I do something like this I am always a little bit nervous but I never worry. God has always made a way for me to talk to someone and has always led our group to the right people. I got to talk to two different guys, Larry and Al. They were two totally different people and yet I could connect to them both very easily. Larry’s parents were from VA so that was an easy in to start talking to him and Al was a War Vet so that made it easy to talk to him. Like everyone else in the world, they just wanted someone to talk to them and listen to what they had to say. It is amazing the perspective that can be gained when you talk to someone who most consider to have nothing.
In society we today we are so blessed. Most of us do not have to worry about our next meal, where we are going to sleep or if we will get any water the next day. Our lives are so blessed yet some of us have found ourselves feeling like we are lacking something in life. I have found that the biggest influence on how my day goes is the perspective that I have going into the day. People would pay to have our kind of problems. Remember how lucky you are to live where you live and to eat what you eat.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
NYC Mission Trip: Day 4, 03/15/2011
I feel like I just got done taking the SAT’s today. I had the amazing opportunity to learn about the Jewish faith in detail and how people try to evangelize to them. We had an amazing NYSUM leader named Don who was so knowledgeable about Jewish people, their background, their history and what they believe in. Let me give you a rundown of the sheet he gave us called “How to Effectively Share the Gospel with Jewish People.”
1. Biblical Principles of Evangelism
This section talked about how Paul says in 1st and 2nd Cor. That we are to be ambassadors for Christ and about how becoming “like” a Jew might win a Jew. (1 Cor. 9:20, 2 Cor. 5:20)
2. Barriers to Communication
I learned the most from this section. First of all, there are a lot of misconceptions about Jewish people.
A. Misconceptions
1. Jewish people know the Old Testament and accept the New Testament.
2. The “Jews” are the “Christ-killers”
3. Jewish people hold similar religious beliefs
4. Jewish believers are no longer Jewish
5. All Gentiles are Christians; all Christians are Gentiles
B. Anti-Semitism
1. Theology of Contempt: Quotes of John Chrysostom, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther
2. History of Persecution: Crusades, Inquisition, Pogroms, holocaust
C. Terminology
1. Avoid the “C’s”: Messiah not Christ, Believer not Christian, Atonement not Cross, Repent not Convert.
2. Use these expressions: God of Israel rather than God, Jewish People rather than Jews, Jewish Scriptures rather than Bible
3. Prophetic Scriptures to Share
A. Isaiah Chapter 53 “To who does this passage refer?”
B. Jeremiah 31:31-34 “What is this New Covenant?”
C. Matthew Chapter 1 “Why the Jewish genealogy?”
4. “Provoke Them to Jealousy” (Romans 11:11)
A. Appreciate the Jewish roots of Christianity
B. Express a debt of gratitude to the Jewish people
C. Use Jewish terminology in expressing Biblical truths
D. Acknowledge the Biblical right for the existence and preservation of the modern state of Israel.
5. Prayer
A. Removal of the veil (2 Cor. 3:14-16)
B. Revelation, Signs and Wonders (1 Cor. 1:22)
Don really got to explain to us in detail how Jewish people feel towards Christians and how it has become his life mission to reach out to as many Jewish people as he can. We got to do two very cool things during the day. The first was going to a synagogue and getting to meet a Holocaust survivor. I felt like I got the chance to shake the hand of a man who has lived through the history which we read about. He shared with us his thoughts on what his Jewish faith meant to him and how it shaped his life. It was very interesting to hear it from his perspective and it definitely raised some questions. The second event of the day was that we got to go into a Hasidic synagogue. It was a time of information overload. I got asked 3 times whether or not I was Jewish and then I got to talk to lady for 20 minutes about everything I saw and about what she believed in. Let’s just say that it was a very interesting time in the synagogue. I feel like I am more educated about their beliefs and at the same time, I have so many more questions about why they believe what they believe.
The thing we got to do was to go to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Prayer Meeting. We got to hear the testimony of a woman from the Middle East and how she came to know Christ. Once the meeting started we got to really sing a couple of songs to God. Pastor Cymbala, shockingly enough, spoke about Anti-Semitism and related it to the story of Moses and what happened to him when he was born. He spoke about how the real turn in the story was when the Mother let her baby go. He spoke about how there are things in our lives that we need to put in the basket, let them go and let God handle the rest.
WHEW!!!!!!!!!! What a day.
1. Biblical Principles of Evangelism
This section talked about how Paul says in 1st and 2nd Cor. That we are to be ambassadors for Christ and about how becoming “like” a Jew might win a Jew. (1 Cor. 9:20, 2 Cor. 5:20)
2. Barriers to Communication
I learned the most from this section. First of all, there are a lot of misconceptions about Jewish people.
A. Misconceptions
1. Jewish people know the Old Testament and accept the New Testament.
2. The “Jews” are the “Christ-killers”
3. Jewish people hold similar religious beliefs
4. Jewish believers are no longer Jewish
5. All Gentiles are Christians; all Christians are Gentiles
B. Anti-Semitism
1. Theology of Contempt: Quotes of John Chrysostom, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther
2. History of Persecution: Crusades, Inquisition, Pogroms, holocaust
C. Terminology
1. Avoid the “C’s”: Messiah not Christ, Believer not Christian, Atonement not Cross, Repent not Convert.
2. Use these expressions: God of Israel rather than God, Jewish People rather than Jews, Jewish Scriptures rather than Bible
3. Prophetic Scriptures to Share
A. Isaiah Chapter 53 “To who does this passage refer?”
B. Jeremiah 31:31-34 “What is this New Covenant?”
C. Matthew Chapter 1 “Why the Jewish genealogy?”
4. “Provoke Them to Jealousy” (Romans 11:11)
A. Appreciate the Jewish roots of Christianity
B. Express a debt of gratitude to the Jewish people
C. Use Jewish terminology in expressing Biblical truths
D. Acknowledge the Biblical right for the existence and preservation of the modern state of Israel.
5. Prayer
A. Removal of the veil (2 Cor. 3:14-16)
B. Revelation, Signs and Wonders (1 Cor. 1:22)
Don really got to explain to us in detail how Jewish people feel towards Christians and how it has become his life mission to reach out to as many Jewish people as he can. We got to do two very cool things during the day. The first was going to a synagogue and getting to meet a Holocaust survivor. I felt like I got the chance to shake the hand of a man who has lived through the history which we read about. He shared with us his thoughts on what his Jewish faith meant to him and how it shaped his life. It was very interesting to hear it from his perspective and it definitely raised some questions. The second event of the day was that we got to go into a Hasidic synagogue. It was a time of information overload. I got asked 3 times whether or not I was Jewish and then I got to talk to lady for 20 minutes about everything I saw and about what she believed in. Let’s just say that it was a very interesting time in the synagogue. I feel like I am more educated about their beliefs and at the same time, I have so many more questions about why they believe what they believe.
The thing we got to do was to go to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Prayer Meeting. We got to hear the testimony of a woman from the Middle East and how she came to know Christ. Once the meeting started we got to really sing a couple of songs to God. Pastor Cymbala, shockingly enough, spoke about Anti-Semitism and related it to the story of Moses and what happened to him when he was born. He spoke about how the real turn in the story was when the Mother let her baby go. He spoke about how there are things in our lives that we need to put in the basket, let them go and let God handle the rest.
WHEW!!!!!!!!!! What a day.
NYC Mission Trip: Day 3, 03/14/2011
Sometimes the best way to serve in the mission field is to serve those who are serving. I got a healthy dose of that today. Today was our first official day of work this week. Our schedule for the day included working at NYSUM and going to Cerebral Palsy Center. I had no idea that the day would turn out the way it did.
I started the morning off working in the kitchen and proceeded to work in the dishwashing room from 6am-2pm. I love washing dishes, I don’t know why. I guess it is because it is work that allows you to see what you have done very quickly and I realize that not many people like to do the work so it takes away a job that is more of a burden to others. At first, we just did the morning breakfast dishes as they came in. Once breakfast was over we cleaned every dish in the kitchen that wasn’t nailed down. The rest of the team gave the kitchen a complete cleaning makeover. The freezer got emptied out and reorganized, the ovens got a good cleaning and the floor was spotless. The two guys who were on staff were so thankful because if we had not been there the work would have not gotten completed and they would have had to stay late. The rest of the group did work in the building with the maintenance department and the house keeping department. Although I don’t know everything that they did, I am sure that they worked hard and really helped out the staff. One of the coolest parts of washing dishes didn’t even come until the evening. After we ate supper we saw that the bins that held the dirty dishes were getting full because no one was back in the dish room. Chap took one look at me and we both had the same idea. I went back into the kitchen to start working and Chap found 3 other guys to come help me. But, before the guys got there, one of the kitchen staff members came back to talk to me. He said that he really appreciated what we were doing but also, how we were doing it. Our work was not done half way; it was done over the top. He asked me why I wanted to do dishes so much and I told him that because we were washing dishes, others could serve for God. In turn, by us serving others, we were really serving God. It doesn’t matter who gets the credit for the deeds done because in the end, all of the glory goes to God.
After dinner, our group got the chance to go to a Cerebral Palsy center. We got the chance to meet 10-12 patients and got to entertain them and the staff that takes care of them. We sang every kids song that we could remember (Jesus loves me, Father Abraham, Hokey Pokey, Head shoulders knees and toes, the Itsy Bitsy Spider, Ole Macdonald, Twinkle Twinkle little star, the wheels on the bus etc…) and we acted out the story of David and Goliath. We had the chance to then see a few of the patients that were in their rooms but could not come out. It was then that I got a little bit emotional. I met a girl named Nicole. Everyone walked up to her bed but then kind of left. Most of us did not know what to do. So, I leaned down and held her hand and sang the one lullaby that I know. I must have sung that song 50 times in a row before we had to leave. I could almost see in her face a little bit of peace come over her while I was singing. I thought about the fact that she was someone’s daughter and that one day, not long ago, my mother might have sung a similar song to me. I started to wonder what this girl’s parents must have had to go through when their child was diagnosed with this condition. It really put the whole day into perspective.
I started the morning off working in the kitchen and proceeded to work in the dishwashing room from 6am-2pm. I love washing dishes, I don’t know why. I guess it is because it is work that allows you to see what you have done very quickly and I realize that not many people like to do the work so it takes away a job that is more of a burden to others. At first, we just did the morning breakfast dishes as they came in. Once breakfast was over we cleaned every dish in the kitchen that wasn’t nailed down. The rest of the team gave the kitchen a complete cleaning makeover. The freezer got emptied out and reorganized, the ovens got a good cleaning and the floor was spotless. The two guys who were on staff were so thankful because if we had not been there the work would have not gotten completed and they would have had to stay late. The rest of the group did work in the building with the maintenance department and the house keeping department. Although I don’t know everything that they did, I am sure that they worked hard and really helped out the staff. One of the coolest parts of washing dishes didn’t even come until the evening. After we ate supper we saw that the bins that held the dirty dishes were getting full because no one was back in the dish room. Chap took one look at me and we both had the same idea. I went back into the kitchen to start working and Chap found 3 other guys to come help me. But, before the guys got there, one of the kitchen staff members came back to talk to me. He said that he really appreciated what we were doing but also, how we were doing it. Our work was not done half way; it was done over the top. He asked me why I wanted to do dishes so much and I told him that because we were washing dishes, others could serve for God. In turn, by us serving others, we were really serving God. It doesn’t matter who gets the credit for the deeds done because in the end, all of the glory goes to God.
After dinner, our group got the chance to go to a Cerebral Palsy center. We got the chance to meet 10-12 patients and got to entertain them and the staff that takes care of them. We sang every kids song that we could remember (Jesus loves me, Father Abraham, Hokey Pokey, Head shoulders knees and toes, the Itsy Bitsy Spider, Ole Macdonald, Twinkle Twinkle little star, the wheels on the bus etc…) and we acted out the story of David and Goliath. We had the chance to then see a few of the patients that were in their rooms but could not come out. It was then that I got a little bit emotional. I met a girl named Nicole. Everyone walked up to her bed but then kind of left. Most of us did not know what to do. So, I leaned down and held her hand and sang the one lullaby that I know. I must have sung that song 50 times in a row before we had to leave. I could almost see in her face a little bit of peace come over her while I was singing. I thought about the fact that she was someone’s daughter and that one day, not long ago, my mother might have sung a similar song to me. I started to wonder what this girl’s parents must have had to go through when their child was diagnosed with this condition. It really put the whole day into perspective.
Monday, March 14, 2011
NYC Mission Trip: Day 2, 03/13/2011
This morning we went to Brooklyn Tabernacle for church. I wish everyone could go there at least once. The people and atmosphere even before the service started were amazing. Then as the choir began to lead us in worship I could just feel the presence of God come in the room. The choir sang this one song in particular that just got the whole room on their feet and everybody looked like they were having one of the most glorious moments of their life.
Pastor Cymbala got up to preach and I could just tell that the message that he was going to talk about was powerful by the way he started. He talked about Joseph and the life he lived and how his brothers sold him into slavery and yet years later it was Joseph who showed mercy and love towards them in a time of need. He said that through the Old Testament you can continually see Jesus. Joseph was beaten within an inch of his life, sold into slavery, thought to be dead and had every reason to hate his brothers. Yet, when he was placed into a position of power and had the ability to do whatever he wanted, he showed love and compassion to his brothers. He did not shame them or charge them with what they had done to him. He revealed his identity to them and said, “Come closer.”
Jesus has done the same thing for us. He has every right to charge us with our sins. He was made fun of, beaten and killed for what he said. He took the blame for our sins. When God reveals Himself to us, He does not condemn us, He tells us to draw near Him.
Later in the afternoon our group had the chance to go to the house of a cadet who also goes to VMI and lives in NY. We got to go to the beach while the food was being prepared and run around like crazy kids. When we went back to the house we ate a great meal of pasta and garlic bread. After eating we sang a few songs, listen to a testimony and then something special happened. The group started to really feed off each other. One person after another would rise up to share something with the group. It was really great to see our group come together and bond. It is amazing how people from such wide backgrounds can come together around Jesus and become a family. I can’t wait to see what happens this week.
Pastor Cymbala got up to preach and I could just tell that the message that he was going to talk about was powerful by the way he started. He talked about Joseph and the life he lived and how his brothers sold him into slavery and yet years later it was Joseph who showed mercy and love towards them in a time of need. He said that through the Old Testament you can continually see Jesus. Joseph was beaten within an inch of his life, sold into slavery, thought to be dead and had every reason to hate his brothers. Yet, when he was placed into a position of power and had the ability to do whatever he wanted, he showed love and compassion to his brothers. He did not shame them or charge them with what they had done to him. He revealed his identity to them and said, “Come closer.”
Jesus has done the same thing for us. He has every right to charge us with our sins. He was made fun of, beaten and killed for what he said. He took the blame for our sins. When God reveals Himself to us, He does not condemn us, He tells us to draw near Him.
Later in the afternoon our group had the chance to go to the house of a cadet who also goes to VMI and lives in NY. We got to go to the beach while the food was being prepared and run around like crazy kids. When we went back to the house we ate a great meal of pasta and garlic bread. After eating we sang a few songs, listen to a testimony and then something special happened. The group started to really feed off each other. One person after another would rise up to share something with the group. It was really great to see our group come together and bond. It is amazing how people from such wide backgrounds can come together around Jesus and become a family. I can’t wait to see what happens this week.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
NYC Mission Trip: Day 1, 03/12/2011
The drive up to NY has already produced fruit resembling the possibilities of the future week. We met a man named Charles at the gas station in NJ and got to talk to him about his life and family. When we told him that we were on a mission trip to NY he seemed pretty excited. He told us about one of his friends that lived in a tool shed the last couple years of his life. He said that you can tell when someone who is down on their luck is not going to make it when they lose their hope in life. When you lose hope, you lose life.
I was in Chap’s van and he told us a story at two different times. Both times, I felt as if I should have a piece of paper out writing down everything that he was saying. He has so much experience and advice to give and I feel lucky to have the chance to receive it. He first talked about marriage and how he met his wife and the process that they went through. He went on to explain what he thought were some of the keys to marriage and dating. His second story was about a trying time he had when he became a battalion commander in the Army. When he got the job he prayed to God that he could be used to bring glory to God. As he went on to explain, God used some pretty hairy moments to prove His faithfulness and power. By the end of his time serving in that position, his men knew that if he went for a walk that he was praying and that everything would be okay. Powerful.
Tonight, when we got finished with our meeting in NYSUM we decided to pray before we went up to our rooms. Chap said, “Let’s pray.” We all bowed our heads and immediately I felt like God was saying that He was going to call on me to pray and so I started almost willing Chap to call on me to pray. Sure enough, ten seconds later, Chap asked me to pray. I know that the moment was simple and yet it had a profound effect on me. A passage from the book Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult, which I just finished, sums up how prayer is starting to feel to me.
“His words run over me, catching on all the rough patches and wearing them down. Prayer is like water-something you can’t imagine has the strength or power to do any good, and yet give it time and it can change the lay of the land.” (Page 358)
You see, not many people go to God when things are going well. Not many people cry out to God unless things look so bad that we can no longer rely on our own abilities to control the situation. No wonder many people find that their relationship with God grows exponentially when they are going through a rough time in life. It is when we are left without any other option that we learn to fully rely on God. When all else fails in life, we pray. When our world gets turned upside down, we trust the Creator. But, what would happen if we prayed like this no matter what was going on in our life? What if we prayed for God to move greatly in our lives even when things are going well? I pray that this week will not only be a week where God gets to use me to reach others but that God can use others to teach me what He is truly about.
I was in Chap’s van and he told us a story at two different times. Both times, I felt as if I should have a piece of paper out writing down everything that he was saying. He has so much experience and advice to give and I feel lucky to have the chance to receive it. He first talked about marriage and how he met his wife and the process that they went through. He went on to explain what he thought were some of the keys to marriage and dating. His second story was about a trying time he had when he became a battalion commander in the Army. When he got the job he prayed to God that he could be used to bring glory to God. As he went on to explain, God used some pretty hairy moments to prove His faithfulness and power. By the end of his time serving in that position, his men knew that if he went for a walk that he was praying and that everything would be okay. Powerful.
Tonight, when we got finished with our meeting in NYSUM we decided to pray before we went up to our rooms. Chap said, “Let’s pray.” We all bowed our heads and immediately I felt like God was saying that He was going to call on me to pray and so I started almost willing Chap to call on me to pray. Sure enough, ten seconds later, Chap asked me to pray. I know that the moment was simple and yet it had a profound effect on me. A passage from the book Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult, which I just finished, sums up how prayer is starting to feel to me.
“His words run over me, catching on all the rough patches and wearing them down. Prayer is like water-something you can’t imagine has the strength or power to do any good, and yet give it time and it can change the lay of the land.” (Page 358)
You see, not many people go to God when things are going well. Not many people cry out to God unless things look so bad that we can no longer rely on our own abilities to control the situation. No wonder many people find that their relationship with God grows exponentially when they are going through a rough time in life. It is when we are left without any other option that we learn to fully rely on God. When all else fails in life, we pray. When our world gets turned upside down, we trust the Creator. But, what would happen if we prayed like this no matter what was going on in our life? What if we prayed for God to move greatly in our lives even when things are going well? I pray that this week will not only be a week where God gets to use me to reach others but that God can use others to teach me what He is truly about.
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