My Not That Exciting but Perfectly Fine Life

I’ve also had the pleasure of spending time with my sister and her family since they are currently living in Gas City. It’s been wonderful to have them so close by and to take a weekend jaunt every once in a while to visit with them. Jayden is doing really well…and will turn one on November 11! It’s so hard to believe just a little under a year ago he was fighting for his life. We praise God for the miracle’s He’s done in Jayden’s life. Last weekend I had a very special visit with them. Betsy and Gerson dedicated Jayden to the Lord. Now, they’ve done this many times throughout Jayden’s health problems. But this time they wanted to do it in front of their church – the people who prayed and supported them in very difficult and uncertain hours. My cousin, Dean, is the current pastor of their church so it was even more special that he got to officiate the dedication ceremony.

I’ve also been spending time reconnecting with an old college friend of mine, Melanie. We had lost touch of each other right after we graduated and then last spring she started going to my church. She was there a couple months before we ever ran into each other (it’s a large church). Actually, the way we reconnected was really fun. Our church has a video each Sunday featuring the journey’s of those who attend there. We were doing a series about community so that month there were various small groups featured on the “My Journey” videos. Our small group happened to be one of them. So, as soon as Melanie saw me in the video she nearly stood up in church and yelled my name…I’m not kidding…ask her…she’ll tell you the very same thing. But she didn’t for which I’m grateful. She did run up to a friend of mine whose in leadership at our church after the service and asked if she knew where she could find me. So she directed her to me and thus began our renewed friendship. The fun part is that Melanie did not know the Lord in college but has in the last year decided to commit her life to Him. Shortly after we reconnected she asked me to take her through CTO…I was honored and humbled to be asked. It’s been quite the journey. CTO (Called to Obedience) was a tool God used in my life to bring about major change in my heart, so I’m thrilled to be taking Melanie through it. What a challenge it’s been to go through the Bible study again and continue to fine tune my faith. It’s been a great reminder that while we can experience freedom in Christ here on earth, we will never reach the finished product this side of heaven. I’m asking God to help me be ok with that. Life is just messy. But it’s also good.

Recent Readings

I recently finished reading Red Moon Rising by Pete Greig and Dave Roberts. It’s the story of a 24/7 prayer movement that started back in 1999 in Chichester, U.K. by a man (Pete) who was given a vision by God of a faceless army of young people in every nation waiting for orders. It wasn’t until a little later that things started to come together and 24/7 prayer rooms were born all around the world as he obeyed Christ’s leading…all connected by their 24/7 Prayer website. There are many amazing stories in the book of how God worked supernaturally to unite these prayer warriors and continue to grow the awakening of our great need for God in this generation. Many of the prayer rooms were launched in marginalized places such as a building that served as a bar scene. They went to places where I imagine Jesus would go. He spent plenty of time with the marginalized in His time. There have been teens high on drugs that have come off the streets into these prayer rooms curious about God…begging to be witnessed to and then giving their lives over to Christ as a result. There was one prayer room that saw every single person who was on their list to pray for salvation become a Christian in the first week of the prayer room being opened. Young people camp out in these rooms in the wee hours of the night and pray their hearts out to a God who is answering their prayers. They are in essence, changing the course of history through their prayers.

I went and visited one of these prayer rooms a while back. It’s about 25 minutes away in Columbia City in the basement of a church. There’s something powerful about walking into a room where prayer has been the focus for hours on end. I was moved by the experience. I loved how the room was set up. There’s a wailing wall where post it notes are hanging, filled with prayer requests for loved ones. And then there’s a wall where answered prayers are listed. The room was divided into different areas where you can focus on praying for the leading officials of the community, for Jerusalem, for youth, for the sick, etc. But they also encourage you to pray however you feel led whether that be through writing poetry, drawing, listening to music, etc. They don’t box prayer into a neat little package of bowing your head, closing your eyes, and folding your hands. I appreciate that. There are so many ways to communicate with our Creator, and this movement is celebrating that and embracing it. God is honoring it and moving in ways I’m sure no one had ever imagined possible. Red Moon Rising was published in 2003, so I’m sure there’s many more amazing stories I’ve yet to hear or read about. It’s exciting to me to see my generation stepping up to the challenges of this world through prayer. And now I’m left with the question, how will I respond? God’s stirring something in my heart these days regarding prayer and communion with Him…but I’ve yet to get a clear vision of what that looks like. So I wait.

A Waiting Season

Speaking of waiting, I continue to wait on the Lord regarding my singleness. I must admit, life has been so much more peaceful since taking a break from E-Harmony. Some of you have said that you like to live vicariously through me and my dating life. I have no idea why! Dating is messy, sometimes painful, and usually hard work. Others of you have said, “I’d hate to return to my dating days”. I can resonate with that except that I’ve yet to leave my dating days. Well, it’s a growing experience at least…and fun at times. I am an advocate of growth. But I can’t say I love the process. Christin and I have gotten a good laugh out of the bouquets of flowers we’ve received from men we simply aren’t interested in. Mind you, these men have been giving us flowers on the first date…so we’ve not had a chance to say, “no, thank you.” So, I live in the tension of the here and not yet…trusting God with it all. I realize my singleness is a blessing in this season because I’m able to do many things I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise. So I embrace that and move forward taking advantage of those opportunities. I’m sure many of you are also living in your own season of the here and not yet. Life is full of waiting. And that’s ok. Whatever you’re waiting for now, I pray God’s grace will be enough for you in the middle of tension and uncertainty. May these scripture verses encourage you as much or more than they have me in my seasons of waiting and facing the unknown.

“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13