Lots of Love

THIS WEEK was amazing. On Wednesday, to begin with, I met with my wonderful youth group for the first time this new year, and the Lord had a great message for Pastor Ryan to tell. Ryan described to us the true story of a lawyer whose life was so changed by the Holy Spirit coming upon his life that he lost his chronic fear of publicly expressing faith, and his whole family was converted to Christianity. He told us how we Christians tend to pray and pray for a worldwide revival and scarcely ever want to leave the boat and go walk on some waves. Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
This is the Great Commission directed to all Christians. We need to find the boldness to overcome the desire to stay safe in our blankets and warm some cold hearts lying slightly outside arm's reach. We can only find the boldness and endurance when we seek it from the Lord, who helps us by the Spirit, and we can therefore truly trust that Jesus is with us always, even to the end of the age (love that quote). He doesn't leave. He knows we need Him, and that's why He came (Now Isn't that the most glorious thing you've ever heard about?) So we prayed together, asking for the help of the Holy Spirit, that He might come on each of our lives and make us bold. Jesus is out there on those waves, and He's not sinking! He''s calling us out there, and it is our job to go. He knows it's hard, but what I've realized is that when we remember the strength and power of our God, our obstacles get smaller.
I left there with 5 names on paper in my pocket, to try to invite these people to church and get at least one to come with me. I also left with a paper about a 30-hour famine fundraiser, where I fast for 30 hours and other people donate money ($30 takes care of one hungry child for one month). If you're interested in donating, please tell me and I'll put you down for however much you feel inclined to give.
While I was there, Kelsey Saison invited me and my sister to a sleepover, and that's where I was yesterday. My sister went to a different party, but I stayed with those girls at the town center and played a scavenger hunt game, and ate ice cream, and later we went to Kelsey's house, and it was just a wonderful time. I feel like God answered the desire of my heart, because when I became distanced from a dear friend of mine I sometimes felt really lonely or awkward. This experience only brought me closer to my best friend for life, Jesus, and He has proceeded to bless me with sisters and brothers I didn't know I had. I've never had a real youth group before, and now that I do, I just want to get as much out of being with them as I can. I just want more of Jesus.
The sleepover was so fun that I got to sleep at about 3:00 and woke up at about 8:00, so I'm tired but I'm glad it's because I was at the first sleepover I've been to outside my family.
Today at church Pastor Russ was describing what a mistake it is to "withhold" those things with which we have the opportunity to bless other people. This is a wakeup call because I found myself at the end of the week having not invited a single one of the 5 names in my pocket, despite keeping the paper with me, and had asked for not a single donation to the 30-hour famine fundraiser. Once again I pray for the boldness to extend a helping hand or share a bit of this love that my life's been showered with. Once again I pray for the strength to keep that boldness day to day and week to week, and for the unselfishness not to think so much about me, and more about that image of Jesus commanding the Great Commission.
Well I pray for everybody in Haiti and all their families (I even have an instructor who suggested to my class that we ought to pray for Haiti if we're the "praying type." You know it's really bad there when you're hearing that at a public school). And I pray for you, dear reader, my friend, that you and I and all of us would gain and keep in our hearts a boldness from the Spirit to do something strangely, unusually loving, and to do something we didn't do yesterday. May the Lord help our faith to endure and grow. Amen.