Hey everyone! It has been a while, I know! After 12 years of schooling I am still trying to figure this stuff out. I am now at T-minus 11 days until I return to the Dominican Republic for a 1 week mission trip with my school. It is tough to enter a country for a short amount of time after you've spent an entire summer there, but I'm just happy that in under two short weeks I will be reunited with the same wonderful hugs and kisses from the same wonderful kids that stole my heart this time two years ago.
On another note, God has been doing some amazing work in my life. To start, After going to a Christian convention called "One Thing" with my senior class in December, God has placed a 6 month program called YWAM in my path. I will be attending classes late August. But before I get to the direction God has me headed in, I'd like to talk about someone who he has placed in my life to walk this road of wonder and unknown with me. No relatives who always ask if I have a girlfriend, it is not one of those bizarre creatures. Rather, it is someone I have been praying for God to place in my life for a very long time. For years, in fact.
For the longest time, I was very very infatuated in finding a "bestfriend". Everyone around me all my life had at least one person that they grew closer to than any other friends. And growing up, I never had one. There would be nights where I would question myself and question God as to why others could have the closeness with another person, but I was without that. It bothered me all the way through high school until I just left it alone. I had tons of friends, so why complain? Little did I know, however, that God has plans for our walk and answers our prayers, just not at the times we want Him to.
As I was planning out how my future in missions would look, God decided to place an individual in my path to not only encounter this journey with me, but to help me grow in Christ with him. And of all people, this individual was my last guess as to who God would chose to put in my life to help me strengthen my relationship with Jesus.
It was mid November and I was awake late at night praying and worshipping God when I came across a post about God transforming this young man's life. This young man happened to be the same guy who influenced me my junior year to get involved in partying and things that drew me away from my Abba. Little did I know that God was about to teach me forgiveness in the weirdest way possible. By uniting two people whom would never thought would be friends again after high school. I knew the guy one year and after I gave my life completely to Christ, I never really spoke to him. We were headed into two separate directions, but now... now he did the unthinkable. He realized the path he was on had an end he knew he didn't want to reach. So he simply turned in the opposite direction and fought Satan head on to get back to Jesus.
This whole sudden transformation has happened to many of my friends who are caught up in addiction or lack of faith, and what usually happens is a sudden spiritual high then a defeat followed by a reentering to their old life, but this.... this was different. For some odd reason, I saw potential. For the first time, I saw transformation happening in this boy just by reading the compassion in his post. He meant it... He really meant it. Not 30 minutes later did this guy randomly call me telling me what had just happened in his life. That very next day we hung out and....well.... haven't really stopped. In fact, I went from having one bible study alone once every month to a bible study every other day with my brother in Christ. From Matthew to Revelation, we are encountering Christ together. And we will continue to pursue this unfathomable God together.
In Luke 10:1-4 it says, "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road."
After both me and my new brother discovered this verse, we smiled with Joy and realized the very reason God put is together. So that we may strengthen and lengthen the kingdom of God through His love and power. He is going to YWAM with me. He is coming with me to the Dominican in 11 days and again this summer for a month. Me and Him are experiencing life together. And the transformation won't start when these trips occur, for it has already begun! Every week, we have started leading Bible studies together with new believers who are needing guidance.
God truly works wonders in the oddest of ways. This man has gone from a friend, to a stranger, to a brother! And my forgiveness for him stretches over the ends of the earth. For I would have never met him if I hadn't been invited to those parties..... God works things out and lets things happen so that He may receive the glory. We were both prodigal sons who just came home at different times. But we came back to the same Father who loved us just the same. After years of prayer for that one friend who I can have this closeness to than others can.. God answered my prayer.. and then some. He not only gave me a best friend.. He gave me a fellow disciple who is SAVED and who loves Jesus more than he loves himself. I am proud to call him my brother!
So ladies and gents... That is what is going on right now. I am being continuously left with my jaw to the floor due to the amazing power God shows me. I am undeserving and I need nothing but to be left for dead.. but God loved me so much that he brings me to life every single day. I am destined for Hell, but my God redeems me every second. I should be struck dead but Christ brings life through every breath I take.
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