An Answer

For the past four weeks now I have been working at Chick-Fil-A as a cashier/dining room hostess. ...And there is no way that words could ever describe how much I LOVE my job. It's kinda crazy to think that I'm actually being paid to serve others. After all, it's not Chick-fil-A I'm working for. My motive behind serving our guests (not customers!) is because Christ calls us to "serve wholeheartedly as working for the Lord and not men."

The other day as I was serving cust--guests--in the drive-thru, the woman who was next in line pulled up to the window. I greeted her with a smile and a warm welcome, and proceeded to give her the total. As she handed me her credit card, she asked, "Why are you so happy? Does your manager require you to be like this?" I had a very hard time coming up with an answer...my reply ended being, "Well, it's a new day, and that in itself brings me great joy." She was satisfied with my answer. This woman was not the first to ask me this. I've had various comments such as, "You are WAY too excited for this time of day" or "Were you trained to act like that? Do you really HAVE to or else you'll get in trouble?" (lol...I loved that one...)

1 Peter 3:15 says to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the REASON for the hope that you have." I've always thought of this verse as being 'on guard,' ready to defend your faith. But don't you think that it might also mean being ready to give a reason for your joy that is found in Jesus Christ? After all, it is through His grace that we are able to be renewed daily, and only through Him that we even have life! I would like to come up with a quick, thought-provoking answer to give these people who ask about my happiness or, as they see it, my 'fulfilled' sort-of attitude. Third Day describes their overwhelming desire to show the world what love is, in their song "Ready." The chorus reads: "I want the world to turn because of love and mercy to find each of us, doing what we can to just believe. I want the world to know that YOU'RE the One who FILLS ME UP and GIVES ME HOPE and BRINGS ABOUT THIS CHANGE THAT'S IN ME." What a perfect picture of what our attitudes should look like involving those who are lost in sin, those who are in need of hope! If you can come up with an answer to give these people, leave it as a comment. Should it just be, "Jesus Christ" or "I have been blessed with a new day to serve Christ"? Maybe something along the lines of "My joy is found only through Christ's forgiveness"? ..but that's a little long and could leave them confused. I'm ready for some answers!!

SDG

Willing & Ready

Here we are already...almost 1/4 of the way through the year. Have you stuck to your New Year's resolutions?! Lately, I have been reflecting on the "resolutions" that I made back in January. My prayer was (and still is!) that God would give me more opportunities to build relationships at school, and somehow get one step closer to sharing the Gospel with them. Each day, I have made it my goal to be a light to those I meet and use St. John's River Community College as my mission field.

At the beginning of the semester, I was so excited about taking Anatomy & Physiology with my friend, Shannon. This was our second class together and I was looking forward to studying and spending that extra time with her. The first day of class came and we sat next to each other in the front row, like always. But that next week was a little different. As I walked into the classroom, there was a girl sitting in MY seat next to Shannon. She continued to sit in that seat for the classes that followed, and eventually it was too late to take it back. ..so I had to choose another seat. This not only made me very upset, but also disappointed because I wasn't sitting next to my friend. ..something I had looked forward to before the semester had even begun!

I could technically say it was by chance, but I'd be wrong. I came into class a week later and was forced to sit in the THIRD row back from the front of the class. I sat next to a girl who looked about my age and was also in my Composition I class the semester before. It was during that week that I was extremely upset (maybe even angry) about my situation. "How could that girl do that to me?? Does she not know that Shannon and I know each other?!" It was not until the following week that God began to open the eyes of my heart. I was completely avoiding an opportunity that God was giving me! ...in response to my own prayers!!! Lauren was my answered prayer. Recently, this has become even more evident. She went out of town and missed two days of class, and asked me if she could borrow my notes from the lectures. I gave them to her today and she was MORE than grateful. She couldn't believe how "hard" I worked at making sure the notes were as helpful as possible.

I am so excited to see what God has in store for me ...and for Lauren! God has changed the attitude of my heart in this situation. I was so blind that I couldn't even see the answer to my own prayer! I've learned that when we ask God for opportunities to witness to others, we must be willing...and READY! ..Ready for those opportunities, and ready to take action. I also didn't realize the opportunities that God might have for Shannon! God specifically chose those seats for me and Shannon..and for the other girls who would sit next to us!

"They will know we are Christians by our LOVE."

SDG

Blind Faith

The one year anniversary of my Grandfather's reunion with his Maker passed a couple of days ago. Looking back, I can see how much God had to teach me through my difficult and heart-breaking circumstances. This is a journal entry that I wrote shortly after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Be encouraged!!

Blind Faith
A journal entry written on August 8, 2008

As I sat in the car listening to my iPod, my thoughts raced as the Holy Spirit began to whisper words I did not understand at that moment. We were on our way to the Orlando Convention for home-schoolers. The long ride was beginning to drain every last ounce of enthusiasm I had for this greatly-needed vacation.
A few weeks before we were going to leave for Orlando, our friends from South Florida, the Coleman family, had sent us a CD that their daughter, Grace, had recorded. All of the songs on the album were just beautiful, and each one had their own special meaning. But one of them stood out among the rest. The title was, “I will Live Again.” Grace had written it for a friend of hers who’s friend had been diagnosed with cancer. The song talks about being “at the finish line” of life; knowing that when it comes our time to leave this earth, through Christ, we “live again!”…. “To die is gain!”
So as my iPod continued to play through the list of songs, I drifted it back to the song I had listened to at least 100 times already. It was the song Grace had written. Even though I had already listened to it so many other times in the past, this moment in the car was totally different. It was as if there was a specific reason that God wanted me to hear it…and, boy, was that the truth! As the song began to play, the Holy Spirit began to speak to my heart. Every word that was sung had meaning. It was as if the Lord was telling me that this song was going to be used in my life some way. I felt as if He was preparing me for some future situation in my life that would take place. I was so confused and frustrated…and when it all boils down, I was scared. Scared of not knowing what was going to happen. But that wasn’t God’s point. His point and purpose was that I would trust in Him, that I would trust that He was (is) in control of the “un-seeable,” the unknown. Despite my doubts and fears, I continued to listen to the song, meditating on each and every line. I decided that I was going to apply this song to my life, even though I wasn’t sure of which area.
We finally arrived to our destination. The first few days were mainly relaxation. Friday was the first day of the convention, and also the day we got to see our grandparents from Fort Lauderdale. On Saturday, the convention continued. When it came time for us to meet up for lunch, my mom called me on my cell phone to let me know it was time to meet up with them. She sounded as if she had been crying, and the worst part was, she wouldn’t tell me why. Something was obviously wrong, and it was killing me that I couldn’t find out.
Finally, two days later, my mom and dad sat us down and told us the news I had been waiting for, for what seemed like days! My grandpa, in Tampa, had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I was beginning to regret being so anxious to know what was going on. For those next few days, I acted as if nothing was wrong. I guess I just had a really hard time accepting and even comprehending the news our parents had given us. It felt like it was taking forever for it to sink in. The most dedicated, godly man I knew now had cancer. I just couldn’t understand it. I was truly terrified and heartbroken. I was lost.
It was not until about three months later that I had a huge breakdown, and, might I add, it was with someone I barely knew, but felt as if I had known them all my life...but it was obviously the Lord’s will! I think one of the reasons that I took it so hard was because I never really experienced one of my grandparents battle any type of sicknesses or health issue, at least at an age where I understood what was going on.
But then it finally occurred to me. The Holy Spirit began to open the eyes of my heart. Through Grace’s song, the Lord was preparing me during that car ride for what I would learn just a few days later! By remembering that song, there was an encouraging joy that never would have been there had I not listened to that song.
As I continue to persevere through this experience, the Lord is showing me so much. I am learning to trust God, knowing that He is control of every situation, no matter the outcome. What the Lord has been showing me is really summed up in two words: Blind Faith, trusting that God will never leave me in any struggle I may go through, and all I need to do is willingly grasp hold of His hand, without knowing what lies ahead. Usually this phrase is thought of as a bad thing...and it can be if used in the wrong way. However, it truly sums up what the Lord has been teaching me.
I have also learned through the car ride, that God uses every situation to strengthen and prepare us for future situations. All we have to do is listen and be aware of these experiences. He can use any type, big or small. It can even be something as simple as a car ride to Orlando!
My prayer is that God will use this situation to ultimately glorify Him, no matter what the outcome may be. I have chosen to trust God without knowing what lies ahead; I have chosen to follow His lead with “Blind Faith,” knowing that with the Hope my grandpa has in Christ, he will live again!


SDG

A Tribute to a True Friend

To All of my Brothers & Sisters in the Lord:

All my life I have been blessed with so many amazing friends...friends that have kept me from falling, friends that are there when I need a shoulder to cry on, friends that laugh even when something isn't funny, friends that I can tell absolutely anything to. God has never left me without a friend and has been gracious in carrying out His truth that "there IS a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

But it was not until recently that I realized what treasures my friends really are. It is when they are willing to deny themself in order to serve you that they truly prove what a friend they are. Christ displayed this attitude by washing the disciples' dirty feet. He was willing to get down and do the dirty work because He loved them.

A true friend encourages you when you screw up big time. A true friend only wants to keep you safe. A true friend is willing to admit that they're wrong and ask for forgiveness. A true friend isn't afraid to tell you what's on their mind. A true friend is willing to sit and listen, even when it's just "babbling."

Thanks for being there! ...thanks for being a true friend.

SDG

Letting Go of it All

Some of the most stressful and insecure moments in a teenager’s life occur when they have finally reached that cliff-hanging edge of graduating high school and not knowing where to go from there. As a youth on this “edge,” I have experienced time and time again the feeling of not knowing what exactly comes next. I’m constantly asking myself, “What choice would be best for my future? Am I positive that this is right? What if I’m making a mistake? Where do I go from here?”

Feelings of doubt, worry, and fear flooded my mind whenever I would think about colleges, getting my degree, finding work…for a while I spent many nights dwelling on them all. God had so much to show me! How could I be so ignorant? What in my right mind could cause me to think that I have control of my own future? Frequently, I’ve used the phrase, “It all depends on what the future holds.” …How quickly I had forgotten that the future is not some important figure that holds events to come. The future doesn’t hold them. I don’t hold them. God does – The Ruler of all Creation, Lord of Heaven and earth, the One who puts all things into motion.

I am so thankful to have learned that these important and life-changing times do not have to be ones of walking on eggshells. It is coming to that sweet surrender that we finally find peace in knowing that God holds the future in His hands. No decision we make will ultimately effect what God has in store. It is only when we seek His direction that we find the right steps to take.

In Tenth Avenue North’s song, “Let it Go,” they describe the life of those who truly let it go: “I've been holding on so tight. Look at these knuckles, they've gone white. I'm fighting for who I wanna be. I'm just trying to find security. But You say let it go, You say let it go. You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control. You say you will be everything I need. You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul. You say let it go.”

How can we truly and fully let go of that desire to control? We must come to the place of complete loss, giving it all to Him! Until we realize this, we will constantly find frustration and discouragement in our decisions and mistakes. In order for us to willingly grasp hold of His hand and trust Him with the future, our hands must first be free! This is the beautiful act of surrender --- letting go of it ALL.

SDG