Words cannot even express how much this trip to Idaho meant to me. I could go on and on for hours and talk about all of the amazing things God did this past weekend, not just in my own personal life, but also in the Body of Christ as a whole.
Here are a few things…
The Body of Christ: I am so passionate about my spiritual family. I love the Church with all of my heart. It was so encouraging to see how the Lord is working in the lives of those living in the Boise/Nampa area. Also, I had the wonderful privilege of getting to spend some time with a couple of the interns at FLC (Special shout-out to Ky and Trey) and also taught one of their SOE classes earlier today. Priceless. I love that what I’m a part of is so much bigger than myself. One of my favorite memories of the trip was looking out into the sanctuary during worship while singing Revelation Song. Amazing.
Life in General: The last three weeks have been very difficult. It’s been such an emotionally draining roller-coaster ride and none of it has made any sense until worship started yesterday morning. God showed up and made Himself so real to me, along with everything else going on in my life. Here’s the readers digest version: It is inevitable that we will face trials in life and sometimes our hearts will experience pain. It’s during these times when we must keep our motives right and declare that He is a good God. We press in and worship Him like never before. Our situation may not make any sense, but what we’re a part of is so much bigger than ourselves and the Body of Christ needs us to stay strong so that we can play our part. The life I’ve chosen to live affects the eternal state of many and I can’t afford to throw in the towel, because when the clouds go away, the sun will be shining bright and everything will make sense.
Mentors: I am so thankful that Pastor Marc has taken me under his wing. The last two and a half years have been amazing in so many ways and I will forever be thankful that he decided to become my “Modern Day Paul.” One of the reasons this trip meant so much to me is because it was the first one that we ministered together.
Evangelism: I had a very heartbreaking conversation with the girl that sat next to me on my flight to Boise. For a little more than an hour, she pretty much bashed me and bashed the church. The sad thing was that everything she had to say about the church was true, and the only thing I could do was sit there and apologize on behalf of the Body of Christ and encourage her that there are still Christians out there who are full of compassion and really do love people. It was a huge wake up call and it’s been challenging me in so many ways. (Future blog post waiting to happen)
So yeah, it’s been a great weekend serving FLC and it blessed me in so many ways.
Can’t wait till my next return!
Having fun with an amazing group of young people.
Hanging out after an AMAZING service. A night to remember!
Abby 5:39 pm on March 30, 2009 Permalink |
wow. sounds like you had a really good trip! i’m glad.
Joseph Garibay 5:57 pm on March 30, 2009 Permalink |
Abby, it was so good. Life changing in so many ways.
Abby 11:00 pm on March 30, 2009 Permalink |
you should tell me about it.
Abby 11:02 pm on March 30, 2009 Permalink |
ugh. that smily face is incredibly cheezy… i meant it to be more of a closed-lip-but-genuine-smile.