When I first decided to be a volunteer staff member for this trip, I knew it was a choice made out of obedience. God made it clear that I was supposed to be there, and I wanted to follow His plan for me. To be completely honest, this was a time of testing. I had been away from home for two weeks and wanted to be in the comfort of my own small town again. When things didn't go exactly as I had anticipated, this desire to flee became even stronger. I had to make the choice if I was going to stay or leave. While on the phone with my mom, she asked me what I wanted to do. I responded that my decision should to be made according to what I needed to do, not what I wanted to do. This was hard, but it taught me a lot about sacrifice. I had to put aside my own thoughts and feelings and trust that God would provide the energy and enthusiasm to make it through those two weeks. In hindsight, there isn't one big reason why I believe God had me there but there are plenty of small reasons. One of which was to teach me about obedience and sacrifice. In those times of testing, I have to remember that refining is often done by fire. This process may not be pleasant, but I am thankful for the aftermath.
For this next story, I want to give a little background from my last Joshua Generation experience as a student. Two years ago, I learned that God can give me words for other people. I had known for a while that He could speak to me through my thoughts, but I realized then that He wanted to speak words to me that were intended for other people. Staff members had given me what are called "words" many times before. These words were always very special for me to hear, and I remember most of them to this day. So, I was excited when I found out that God wanted to use me in this way. Returning back to the original timeline, I learned even more about this gift during my time with YWAM this summer. Oddly enough, I had never before realized all of the details that I am given when God presents me with a word for someone. Usually, I don't just receive a word from God. I get a person's name or face, a word, and a picture that confirms the word. The way God plans this stuff blows my mind. He knows that I often doubt my assignment to give someone a word that I have heard from Him. I think the picture is His way of reinforcing the message that I have been given. Another reinforcement sometimes comes after the word has been given. Here is an example from my experience at Joshua Generation:
One morning, I felt God instructing me to give a word to the student that was doing devotions with me. I was unsure exactly what I was supposed to say, but I went ahead and took the opportunity to talk to her after we finished our devotions. I had planned out what I was going to tell her, but the words changed as they flowed out of mouth. They became the words that God needed to speak into her life. I realized as that happened that my words were useless, but God's were so meaningful. The word she was supposed to hear was "leader." God was calling her to lead others and was shaping her into the type of person that would fit this mold even if it did not seem natural. Her response to me confirmed that God was speaking through me. Once I said what God had put in my mouth, she told me that she had been struggling with God about Him making her into a leader. I didn't expect her to say that, but it was good to see God confirm the message.
God works in amazing ways. Sometimes the process of His work isn't what we would call fun, but I know that He always has a plan. God wants to use our lives to accomplish extraordinary things in this world. We just have to be attentive and obedient to His call. My experiences this summer are proof of that.
Team Picture!
If you would like to learn more about Youth With A Mission,
visit www.ywampittsburgh.org
No comments:
Post a Comment