I am waiting at the airport for my mama to pick me up and I am trying to reflect on this wonderful experience that I had called “training camp.” There are many things I want to say and that I don’t want to forget so I am going to try to record them now.
I have learned to pray in a much deeper way this week. I didn’t realize that I used to pray with a spirit of timidity and I was really limiting God. As Christians, with the same Spirit that resurrected Christ from the dead living inside of us, we have the power to speak things into existence. We have the power to speak truth and I belive we have the responsibility to speak truth. It has been impressed upon me over and over that I am dead to sin, but I am also dead to the law. I have freedom through Christ! Jesus promises that we will do greater things than He did because we have the Spirit living in us! I think that many of us don’t realize the POWER in that!!
On the last evening at camp, our team leaders (our squad has about 60 members, we have been broken down into about 10 teams of 6, each team has a team leader) humbled themselves and washed each of the team member’s feet. I was the last one on my team to get my feet washed so I had plenty of time to meditate on the beauty of this experience. The image that kept popping into my head was that I stand before God naked, with absolutely nothing to offer. I was guarded and did not want to be served by someone in a way that seemed so shameful to them. I didn’t want Brooks to wash my feet, but Christ washed His disciples feet and told us to go and do the same.
John 13:1-17 — 1It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
It was so profound actually having my feet washed rather than just talking or reading about it. I stand in front of the Lord naked and sinful and weak, and STILL Jesus gets down on His knees and washes my feet! I can’t respond to that in any other way than to fall on my face and say, “Thank you Jesus! I don’t deserve this at all but thank you so much!” I was sobbing that deep sob that comes from the core. Then I realized: I am what Christ wants. Besides me, I have nothing to offer, but ME. that is what the Father wants. That is why Jesus humbled Himself to such a lowly position. So that I can be in relationship with Him. God created me just the way He wants me and Christ sacrificed everything for me, for…me, for my soul. I have nothing but myself to give and that’s what I offer. Jesus, take me, choose me, use me, all that I am and all that I have is Your’s. This is truth, this is what I have the power and responsibility to proclaim. The Creator of all things wants to love you with a love so great we can’t even understand. What a blessing!!
