It’s currently 4:30 in the morning; I woke up with a lot in my head, so I figured I would write a blog post and share what’s been on my mind and heart lately.
For those who don’t know or haven’t read my last few blog posts: I’ve spent my summer in Wauseon, OH interning at a church. Although it’s had its ups and downs, It’s been an incredible experience, and I’ve learned so much about God, Myself, and others. This week is my final week, and I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting on what I’ve learned over the last 10 weeks, and I have a few things I want to share.
One of the big ones is that if we desire to see God move, it requires getting out of our comfort zones and having complete trust in him. In June, I got the privilege of helping to lead a mission trip to Charlotte, NC. We served at several places doing various service projects, and it was just an overall incredible experience. Our Second day in the city was Sunday. We went to church that morning, and then after that, we walked around downtown passing out cold water bottles with electrolyte packets to homeless people. We were tasked with passing out cold water bottles and interacting with and praying for these people. If I’m being honest, with my anxiety, the thought of walking up to a homeless stranger made me nauseous. I couldn’t help but think of the worst things like “What if the people are mean?” or “What if they’re violent?” and pretty much all the other worst-case scenarios. I followed along with my Pastor and 2 of the kids but just kind of stayed back and watched them do it. The last gentleman we encountered was special, though. This man was digging through a dumpster in hopes of finding his next meal. We talked with him and heard a little bit of his story. He told us he had been homeless for several months and that he had two part-time jobs, but with the cost of living being so high in the city of Charlotte, he couldn’t afford to find a place to live. He looked me straight in the eye, though and told me How Good God has been to him and how he will continue to trust the Lord because he knows the Lord will provide. That right there blew my mind. The fact that this man has no food, not a lot of money, no place to live, yet he STILL trusts God and believes that God is going to provide, is incredible. That right there is the TRUE definition of faith. Believing even when it makes no sense. That’s the kind of faith we all should strive for, believing that God will provide no matter how hard things get, no matter what curveballs life throws at us. That man really inspired me
The other big thing I’ve learned is that God puts the right people into our lives for a reason and that It’s OK to lean on your people when you need to. I recently bought a sign at Hobby Lobby that reads “Friends are God’s way of taking care of us”. I find that to be so true. Life isn’t always going to be up and to the right and that’s OK because God puts the right people into our life to help us through the rough patches. I have the most amazing people around me and I thank God for them every day.
As I wrap up this internship and reflect on the last two months, It’s been quite the adventure but God has been so faithful, every step of the way. I’m so excited to get back to IWU and to re-visit with the people that I’ve missed so much over the course of this summer. This year, I get the privilege of being on the New Student Orientation team this year which is the team that helps to Welcome In the Incoming Freshman and I’m so excited that God has provided me with this opportunity to share his love with the other people on my team as well as the incoming Freshman! If your reading this and haven’t put your trust in Jesus, What are you waiting for? If you’d like to know more about what that looks like, Feel free to reach out, I’d LOVE to have a conversation!