Training Camp. It just happened. It was cool. It was weird. I still don’t know what to think about it.
God’s doing something, I don’t know what, but I’ll let Him have at it. He seems to know what He’s doing. Always does. I just wait in curious anticipation to see what happens and how He puts the puzzle pieces of life together.
It was a stretching experience. We camped all week, hiked with our packs, made do with what we had, cooked over a fire, killed spiders, wore the same clothes more than once, showered twice in a week because there were 200 people sharing 6-ish showers and that was not at the top of the priority list. That stuff was fine, done it before.
Don’t worry guys, I got to build a fire! And make new friends and live out of a tent.
What blew me away was the power of God. I was challenged to see God in ways I’ve never seen before.
Healings? Emotional, mental, physical…do those still happen? I try to believe that they do, only because I don’t want to intentionally put God in a box, but I’m still weirded out by it if I’m honest. I think we run to other things to heal us before we run to God, He can be our last resort when everything else fails. In other countries, all they have is God. He is their only hope. I’ve been challenged to live like God is my only hope despite our culture that says otherwise.
While I believe that God can heal and change, I also believe there are times where we are stuck in the pain of our struggles and are taught and challenged from there for whatever reason. But some of the best ministry can come from that deep place of pain. People can relate to pain. Healed or not, God will use it for good. I’m learning to trust that.
Speaking in tongues? Does that still happen? Evidently, but I’m certainly not used to it. How do I know people aren’t just making up words?
The Holy Spirit? Yes I believe all Christians have received the Holy Spirit, but I saw more power from people living out of that than I’ve ever seen before. I’m starting to believe that the Spirit has the ability to empower us as Christians more than we believe or allow.
If He does all those crazy things that the Bible says, why do we try to take control of life so much and say that those things can’t or don’t still happen? Who are we to play the role of God and say what is and isn’t possible? Yeah it’s weird, but really, have you read the Bible? It’s way weird. Well, if you read the whole thing and don’t skip over those parts…
Lesson being learned: God is more powerful than I give Him credit for….
And has placed me on a team with 6 other women that is better than I could have ever dreamed.
I’m stoked to see how these relationships will be deepened over the next year and what all God has in store for us.
“Success is when the people who know you the best love you the most.” This was said at training camp and is so true. It also serves as a challenge for me to get to know and love others well.
How do you define success? How does that shape how you live? How you love?
What do you believe about God?
Do you really believe He’s all powerful and in control?
Do you believe God can do what He says He can?
I want to challenge you to take God out of that nice little box you’ve made for Him, blow it up, and let Him show off.
And then see what happens.
Live life well,
Crystal
