We have returned from Chicago. I slept in this morning....got up at 9am....had oatmeal...talked to my mom for an hour...went to bed again....got up at 1pm...had food...did laundry and wondered at the amount of energy I could not find to muster up and become a working individual again. So I will just vedge today and process all that my heart, eyes, and mind took in. I am just now getting used to not having 81 persons behind me as I walk. Or it's really 79 behind and Hawk Hostetter and Stephanie Pringle beside me as they are my student co-leader buddies :)
It was amazing to continue to serve with Jamie and his church. It was awesome to see our students serving---some for the first time. I have snapshots of seeing our students telling bible stories and leading in worship and leading in our morning devotional challenge everyday that just cause me to give praise to God for what He is doing in the hearts of these students. However even though the "trip" is over, this is a crucial time for our students because they are processing what they have seen and done and looking at their everyday mission field that God has placed them on. I pray that each of us that went to Chicago does not take off the "label" of missionary because they have crossed into the city limits of Brentwood but that even more God will break their heart for their city, their school, and even feel a call to cross over the boundary of the "O.H.B (old hickory blvd) to minister to the poor and homeless that are within reach of us. For the students that are getting ready to go to college in the next few weeks, I pray that they begin praying for the people they will find themselves around. I pray they find someone to pour into them and continue to equip them to serve and I pray they realize they are commissioned to take God's love to the campus God has placed them on.
I pray that they live their lives---all of it---in such a way that people know they are Christians just as Jenna Sampsell and Clark Casada reminded us to do when they spoke. I pray we each look for opportunities just like Michael Farrish encouraged us to do.
And I pray that we recognize that the harvest is plenty but the workers are few....just like Pat reminded us through scripture.
I pray that we do not just go into these places of calling without God's protection or in our own power for temptation is present and Aaron Kunz reminded us of that:) but he also encouraged us to have those conversations with people and to bring God's love into each conversation we have. Kaylee Gallagher has written a song that we can't get out of our hearts and we are thankful that she has given us a prayer to pray....Lord Fill us up and send us out. Do not let what we did in Chicago be the thing we did one summer but let it be a habit of serving, going, and showing His love to everyone God places us around.
Praying for the team Linc and I got to lead this week and praying they begin to process all they saw and did as well.
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