Highlights and Lowlights

Another week. Already?? But wait, it’s only been a week?! Goodness...

Highlights: I walked my first people into the family of Christ. I can’t scream through a computer, so you can’t really understand the intensity with which I am saying that sentence. 

Someone on project took a picture at the exact
moment we were praying for their salvation. <3

I talked with two 7^th grade girls who have already had a ton of hurt in their lives. They talked about how they felt they needed to confess every sin they’ve ever committed to God, or else they’ll go to Hell. You could sense their distress with that belief. We offered them what Christ has offered us all, a one-time forgiveness, with everlasting peace, joy, and life. I asked if that was something they wanted, to which they earnestly said yes. (Granted our conversation was much longer than this, but this is just a general recap.) They were too nervous to pray themselves, so I prayed for them. One girl embraced me as I started praying over them, and they began to cry. After we finished asking God into their lives, we asked how they felt. They said at peace and safe. Which is the whole essence of Jesus.

It was an incredible moment, definitely a strong way to start our week of Killing the Giants.

Killing the Giants week is basically a week where we lay it all out for Christ, in the realm of evangelism. We set a goal and spend the whole week striving to kill our evangelism ‘giants’, to face them with courage and have victory with Christ.

<My own personal giant is confusing and lengthy, tied to a lot of other ideas and struggles. I’d love to go into it, but again probably on one-on-one basis, for the sake of time in regards to this blog. But feel free to ask me!>

This week definitely brings up the question of why we’re doing this; why, I personally, am doing this. It’s such a nerve-wracking thing sometimes, speaking the name of Jesus to others. I would not do this if I thought this was simply a game. It is not to me. If I believe that Jesus is Lord, and that He is the only way to have eternal life, then there is NOTHING more important that I could EVER do with my life.

And that is what I believe.

Some Lowlights...

These birds have some scary
good aim and timing.

***Note of enjoyment (for others): Satan is at work this week. He is so desperate that he is stooping to the lowest of lows. In BOTH of my most IMPORTANT gospel conversations this week and – I kid you not – in the most PIVOTAL sentences OF THE CONVERSATION I get pooped on!!!!! Like DIRECTLY. I have now been pooped on a total of 5 times and counting – 4 of them while sharing.

Satan, if you’re this desperate, at least try more reasonable ways of stopping God’s work. These seagulls aren’t gonna stop Jesus. He’s not falling off his throne up there slippin, goin “AWH crap! Now what’s she gonna do?! She’s lost ‘em!” HECK no. Ya gotta play a bigger game than that, Satan.

Which he does, actually. Hersh, a beloved member of our staff team here on project, has been speaking this week about the lies deep in our hearts and subconscious. Satan, in this very real spiritual battle, is throwing flaming arrows (Ephesians 4) at us, which are full of the lies he knows we are most prone to succumb to. These lies have been relentlessly attacking us this week.

Some lies that I have had to battle against especially this week:

•        My physical illness can and will prevent me from being effective on the battlefield of witnessing. I am really just too weak to be a #1 worker for God (and I don’t mean #1 in that I’m competing with others, just a #1 in my own life- like the best worker I can be.)
•        Some people do have it all together and it will offend and bother them to hear the name of Jesus, in which case it will be worse to bother them with anything. I should just let them be.
•        I am God’s most powerful tool. It really is on me if I miss an opportunity. God can’t work past my mistakes.
•         People really do just hate Jesus, and if I even start to go in that direction, they’ll get extremely upset and hate me and even worse, hate God even more!

But God and his Word is the truth to combat those, so we're working together on fighting against those lies. *It’s easy to know the truth intellectually. Like, some of those things literally sound so silly and dumb to write out! But when I get down into my heart, I do actually believe them.

More than lies though, I’ve really felt defeated this week simply in my physical weakness. I can barely get out of bed in the morning, barely open my eyes because they’re so swollen, barely walk up stairs, etc. – so I can’t even imagine having to speak to people and be full of the life that I simply don’t have. Satan is dancing in his victory over my broken body. But I chose God, and choose Him over and over again. And God fights for me.

Tonight Hersh showed a video clip from the movie the Blind Side, where Sandra Bullock goes after Michael’s old “friends” who are super angry with him. She basically tells ‘em what’s up and says, “You threaten my son, you threaten me.” in that classic Sandra Bullock ‘Ima fight you and Ima win’ tone. The clip ended and Hersh turns and says, that’s how God fights for you. He’s not passive, he’s attacking Satan for you. I loved that illustration because sometimes I do feel alone is this fight, but I know my God, my Lord, my Savior, and my dearest friend is kicking Satan’s butt over me! AMEN.

Overall, I’ve had to do and face a lot of hard things this week, things I didn’t even have time to go into here. I’ve felt defeated, but rejoice in the fact that I can and will have victory. This fight is not in vain, praise the Lord!

Our dear Impact Group sailin' these beaches for some searching souls. :)