Hope

So I’ve literally been trying to write this for somewhere around three weeks now and I haven’t blogged in forever… I’m sorry. My life has been insane! I moved into my dorm and completed my first week of college!!! Anyways, like I said, I wanted to delve into a topic that all of us have a key interest in. Hope is something that God has placed inside us all… so let’s break it down.
The first thing to realize about hope is that there are two different kinds of hope. There is the hope for something that we can’t control and the kind of hope that we can control. For example; I can hope that the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl. This would be the hope without action because I don’t play on the Seahawks and I can’t do anything about the situation. On the other hand, if I hoped that my intramural flag football team would win the university championship (which is gonna happen because we’re already having workouts… plus I’m good 😉 ) that is hope with action because I can do something about that. The reason why I break these two apart is because we tend to let God have more control of the ones that we can’t control. Then when it comes to the things we can control… that’s where we try to forget about God and (intentionally or unintentionally) squeeze him out. While, in the meantime “uncontrollable” hope (as I call it) is still important but I will focus more on the “controllable hope. This is the area we have a problem giving to God and usually have the most problems in.
So what does the Bible say about hope? Well, my favorite verse on hope is 1 Corinthians 2:9, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” No matter how much we hope for something and no matter how much effort we put into it… the result is never fully in our hands. We may think we have control of a circumstance and that we can make what we hope reality. The truth is that there are so many variables to a situation we never have control. Never. That’s where we turn to God… because he knows all the variables. He knows your most anxious thoughts. He knows all the different stuff that can happen and he knows what is best for you. Now don’t think I’m saying don’t hope for things. Some of the greatest things in life are the ones you hope, dream and fight for. It is okay to hope for them… the key is not to let that hope blind you and separate you from the path on which God is leading you. Let God lead your hopes… because he knows what is best for you.
I’m not going to write a long blog describing on how to let God lead you. At least not today lol. It’s simple… just pray and listen to him. At this point just take a few minutes to bask in God’s presence and just trust that he knows what he is doing 🙂

I know I promised more stuff… it’s just been coming along slowly. Thank you to my blog readers who have patiently been waiting for more stuff. I appreciate it 🙂

At my Weakest I am my Strongest

People may say this is crazy, but I believe we are at our strongest point when we are at our weakest. You may ask why this is the case. The reason I hold on to this is because God moves the most in our lives when we desperately need him and decide to let go of what we want. When you let God take control you are letting the maker of the universe (the one who made you!) take the reins. Personally, it took me 17 years of my 18 years of life to figure this out haha! Since a missions trip I went on last summer, I have been having the best times of my life. I just take every day for what it is- another day to live for the glory of God and spread his word. Each moment is so precious and when you try to do it all yourself…well… you end up wasting a ton of time. And making mistakes. And feeling empty. Don’t waste that time; let God take control. When you let God take control of every facet of your life and take yourself out of the driver’s seat you will feel at peace. Of course you’re going to make mistakes and try to take back the reins sometimes… that’s because our heart is deceitfully wicked above all things as the Bible says. It is wicked for us to try to take God out of the equation and why would we? He can do so much in our lives and just transform us into people more like him.

 

God will work through you when you are weak. For me; I know this last week was an example of this. I work as a camp counselor and I was doing an overnight camp up in the mountains. Two of the boys in my group were the two most disrespectful 13 year-olds I have ever met. So the first three days were me trying to hold a solid line for discipline but at the same time attempting to have fun with the boys. Wednesday evening we had cabin devotions, I had just disciplined the boys, and was at the end of my rope. I honestly just cried out to God and said “Lord I need you now. Please help me because right now I am so drained and have no idea what I should do besides starting with something in Nehemiah.” Did God show up? You bet he did! He just put all these words into my mouth that weren’t mine and I talked for about 30 minutes straight. I jumped from Nehemiah to somewhere in the New Testament, to Proverbs, to Job, to my testimony and ended with the woman at the well. I can take no credit for what I said then… it was all him. At the beginning of devos I had the two naughty kids with pillows over their head, a few more not really paying attention, and just overall nobody really cares about devotions. By the end, I had every kid’s eyes riveted on me just gobbling up everything God was saying through me. It amazing to feel the strength that God gives us when we are weak.

 

It’s just amazing to watch what God can do. When you follow him that’s when the best things happen. One of the things I love to do is spiritual treasure hunts… you basically just go out in public and pray for people. You pray for healing of the mind and soul. I have seen people healed on the spot in both of these areas. It just takes such a leap of faith to start and it’s still really scary. I’ve been flipped off by people before… but I take it as a sign of persecution. I got persecuted for my Lord- that’s freakin’ awesome!!! Plus you never know when you plant a seed inside of someone that the next person will come and harvest.

 

As a camp counselor I get to see a lot of people transformed in just one week and I am continually changing as well. It’s also fantastic to hear the experiences of my friends at other camps… God is moving this summer and I pray everyone holds on to what they learned at camp this summer. Don’t let it be a mountain peak experience that you forget about… don’t forgot it. Hold onto what God has done and continue to let him change you. The word of the Lord is like a double-edged sword that pierces to bone and marrow. It goes to the heart.  At the only full week of teen camp at my camp a speaker named Brett Hollis really came out and challenged us all. After every chapel there was weeping, repenting, healing… it was absolutely insane. Sometimes it went on for an hour. At the campfire night me and some of the other counselors shared our testimonies… but told parts that we had never told anyone (or only a few people) before. There was a girl that had been legally blind in one eye all her life and the Lord let her see for one night. I loved the teens’ awe at what God did that week… I was like aww yea that’s the God we serve!!! It was really sweet for me just to relax and simply bask in God’s presence. I brought a few kids to the Lord that week and prayed with other kids about their situations. It just has been a blessing to be given this opportunity every week. My prayer skills have gotten better over the last month or so and while it doesn’t matter how great your skills are it still has been a good thing. Through his camp experience I continue to see every day that I can’t do much on my own. I am a strong person… mentally, physically, academically etc. like I’m one of those people who know that they have a bright future ahead of them and all that. God has given me all these gifts though and everything that I do is for him. He knows the plans he has for me and I just let him take the driver’s seat.  

 

People say that those who don’t control their life are weak… but that’s totally not true. I don’t control my life and I’m stronger than I ever have been. Jesus reigns in me and decides to use me to further his kingdom. I enjoy that a lot. I’ve been having the time of my life the last year or so. I mean it has had its hard points but God has helped me through those. I just have this joy in my heart and I can’t wait for everyday because I love living life 😀

P.S. About 2 ½ weeks and I’m headed to college. It feels so weird to be buying college books but that’s where I am right now. Can’t wait!!!