I’ve been home from training camp for over two weeks, and I have yet to be able to fully articulate everything that incurred while at training camp, and the weeks that have followed. At training camp, I was reminded of many things that I have had the blessing of learning in the past, and grow some more from the lessons. I was able to meet, live with, and cherish the forty-three people that will be my community for at least the next eleven months. We, together, pushed past our realms of comfortability, and voluntarily dove into a deep level of intense uncomfortability. We chose to pursue a life of saying “Yes” to God, no matter the cost, and we began to form eternal friendships. Training camp awoken us to the reality that everything that we do has impact, and we need to make an eternal impact in the lives of those we meet.
Now comes the part of the blog where I ask for y’all to put your big boy and big girl pants on, and dive into the most serious post that I’ve created.
I don’t know why, but people always seem to ask each other how their heart is. Maybe it’s because they know that from the heart, beats physical life, but is also used as a representation for eternal life. If you were to ask me how my heart is right now, I would tell you that it’s broken. Broken over hurt that I’ve witnessed in people that I care about. Broken over pain that I know my country is feeling right now. Broken over the hope that so many people don’t have. Broken. And, I suppose that that’s a good thing. It’s good that I’m broken over pain. It’s good that I’m broken over hurt. It’s good that I’m broken over the countless people that wake up each day without hope. It’s good, because now Jesus can use me. I had this pastor that would wisely say, “God only uses broken people, in broken things”. Maybe that’s depressing to you, but it’s assuring to me. It’s assuring, because the world is packed way past full capacity of hurt, and because Jesus is much, much bigger than all of that hurt put together.
It’s as if Jesus is saying “WAKE UP, MY CHILDREN! DON’T YOU REALIZE THAT ALL OF THESE PEOPLE NEED HOPE? DON’T YOU CARE THAT THEY NEED LOVE? CAN’T YOU SEE HOW DESPERATELY THEY’RE SEARCHING FOR BOTH??” Why can’t we, as people who love Jesus, remember how utterly lost we were without Him? Why can’t we recognize the duty that we have to go and share it with the world? Why can’t we WAKE UP, and realize that WE HAVE DROPPED THE BALL on sharing Jesus? Why??
Perhaps it’s because we’ve forgotten the price that was paid for our hope, our love, our freedom. We’ve forgotten that the cost, was the Creator of the Universe, King of the World, and Savior to All; Jesus’ brutal humiliation, torture, and MURDER. (Matthew 27:27-54) It doesn’t stop there. Jesus died, yes, but then He went on to spend three horrific days in hell, until He CONQUERED sin and death through rising from the grave, and currently living in Heaven and in the hearts of those who accept Him. (Matthew 28:1-10) OUR HOPE IS NOT FREE. Dear people who serve the Lord, please don’t forget the price that YOUR SINS cost, and yes, everyone else’s as well. Jesus died NOT ONLY FOR YOU, but for EVERYONE, regardless of what they look like, act like, or sound like. WE, together, MUST NOT drop the ball anymore. We must pick up the ball, and run with it, until everyone that we know has heard about Jesus.
So, I can’t write another post. I can’t sit around, watching people hurting, people without love, people walking around unsure of what life is truly about. So I’ve put down the computer, I’ve turned off my phone, I’ve gotten off of the couch, and I’m walking. Walking towards those who need more than an inspirational post or quote. Jogging towards those who desire more than a semi-friendly hello every three weeks. Running towards those who are desperate for just one person to care that they exist. Because I refuse to sit around and keep writing posts about a world so deep in hurt, and do nothing about it. Will you run with me? Will you pick up the ball, and run???
