A Brother, A Skeptic, and God's Perfect Plan

It's not very often that we experience a day that stands out as being completely put together by God, but as I was thinking back through today, I realized that every single little piece aligned perfectly to what I asked God to do this morning. Every morning while I'm eating breakfast I read the day's entry in a book called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young (I highly recommend this little power-packed faith booster!). Today's entry happened to be about asking God to speak through you before every conversation you have - how appropriate for a day where I spend 9 hours giving campus tours, talking with prospective students and their families, and intentionally leading conversations in such a way that makes UW-River Falls sound like the best place on earth (by the way, it does rank pretty high up there ;) ). So, as I was finishing my breakfast, I asked God to take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves today with every family that saw my face at the college visit day. And He did exactly that!

In one of the question and answer sessions we (the student panel) were asked to tell the visitors where we graduated high school from, what year we are in college, and our major/minor of study. Usually with this kind of a question I don't specifically state directly out that I attended a small, private, Christian school in Brooklyn Park, however, as I was waiting for my turn to come I felt the strongest urging to say exactly that. Little did I know that there was a family that I had never met before in my life sitting in the audience who attend Living Word and were immediately drawn to this campus when they heard where I came from. The dad, Craig, came up to me after the session and asked me what private school it was that I went to. I said, "Maranatha Christian Academy" and his eyes lit up with a smile I wish I could have photographed. He said, "That's our church!" Of course, I had to share in his excitement and say, "Mine too! Been there my whole life!" Well, our conversation progressed and we talked about the Christian groups I'm involved with on campus and he asked if we could meet up after the tour to talk more and so I could meet his family. In the end it didn't work out for us to meet later, but if my willingness to put myself out there made for a memorable visit for Craig and his family, then I praise the Lord that they had a positive experience that might just be exactly what they needed to help them make their college decision. Perhaps I'll even get to see them at church sometime, even though it is an awfully big place.

As soon as Craig and I ended our conversation I walked over and joined the other tour guides, and one of the other girls I've been getting to know better asked me who the guy was that I was talking to. I said, "He goes to my church and I didn't even know it! But then again, my church has like 10,000 members..." She didn't even flinch at the number like so many other people do and said, "Do you go to Eagle Brook?"And for a second I had to repeat what she said because it was so unexpected, but I replied, "That's the church I go to when I'm at school, but he goes to the church I went to back home." We got into a conversation about EBC and she told me how it's the only church she's found so far that has actually sparked her interest - she identified herself as a skeptic but said that EBC actually makes it fun. While we had to break our conversation there, I made a point to talk to her more about it later.

This goes back further than it would seem - while I was on the staff retreat with the Admissions office in May, I felt very out of place and almost like I had a spotlight on me because I am the only one on the student staff who openly expresses my Christianity. When I got home from the retreat I was reflecting on it and almost trying to get God to commisterate with me over that fact, but He didn't let that last long. Right away I knew there had to be a bigger reason that I was chosen to be on that staff again this year besides my ability to perform the job well. All the sudden things are starting to come into perspective and I can't wait to see where God takes it!

So, overall, today was just totally God doing exactly what I asked Him to do. I haven't even mentioned yet the fabulous tours that I had with some of the families today and the excitement that I saw in the students about the opportunities and experiences that UW-River Falls has to offer. I had one girl look at her mom and say, "I am for sure going here!" That was enough to make the sore feet, tired voice, and long day completely worth it. That, and the doors that God is opening inch-by-inch in my relationships with people at my college. It makes me very excited to see what all He has in store for me this coming school year!.

Burning Love - Topics on the Love of the Father

"Love burns bright enough to compel us, but hot enough to keep us humble." from "Finding Yourself in 'Love'" by Myles Werntz

There is something about love that draws us toward it. It causes us to do things we wouldn't otherwise do and encourages us to pursue it; but love also has a refining quality aobut it, meant to burn away our imperfections and make us our best. This quality leads us to finding humility because we realize that our best would not be present without a little bit of pain to draw it out of us.

Love is something that completes our human existance, makes us feel needed, and gives us an expression of the need we have for another person. It makes us feel esteem for ourselves and others. This craving for love that all humankind experiences is something that God designed within each one of us with the purpose of creating meaningful relationships with others and Himself. God has ways of fulfiling this craving with His own love and by placing people in our lives that show us His love in their own way.

What are three crazy things that love has compelled you to do? Leave your answers in the comment section!

1. Spend an entire evening talking to 2 International Students about everything from the American tradition of s'mores around the campfire to the most intricate details of our lives as Christians. This was such an encouraging experience for me and I learned first-hand how simple the love of God is.
2. Becoming involved as a leader on campus through the Freshman Orientation Program here at UW-River Falls. Not only did I get to impact a group of students new to campus as we spent three days together, but my relationships with them and the other orientation leaers continue to grow in the love of Christ as we discover more about each other and our own faith.
3. Stay out of a dating relationship out of love and respect to the man, myself, and both of our relationships with God. I know that dating is a huge part of the American culture, but I have chosen to wait until God leads me into my one and only relationship because I know His timing is perfect and His love will sustain me as I wait patiently on Him. I have chosen this path because I believe that God should be the center of any relationship I have, but especially a romantic one, so I want both of our hearts to be prepared by God and our relationships to be solid in Him before we begin our lives together.

Loving shapes our entire purpose because it is how we can universally communicate who God is and His love for us to anyone and everyone. As I prepare to work in the mental health field, love is becoming something I value more than anything else. It goes a long way in a patient's treatment. Being loved brings self-esteem and a lot of encouragement, knowing there is someone behind you all the time to support you no matter what. God's love in my life and it's ability to work through me is what gives me the confidence to follow what God has planned for my life.