I joined a ministry called Student Movement for Christ International (SMCI) as they ran a 6-week evangelistic campaign. During this campaign (which is still in its last 2 weeks--please be praying!), a team of people from around the world joins SMCI as they go to high schools and universities, preaching the gospel in each classroom.
I learned many huge lessons as I grew closer to God during those three weeks, and some of them will be shared here on this blog in the near future. In the mean time, here are a few thoughts to ponder.
Upon returning home, I realized and learned many things as I looked out at my home life and the life of my friends with my fresh, drastically different perspective . One of the first things I noticed was that I had not heard anyone complain for the past three weeks.
Our team involved people from 6 countries, who got together in an impoverished land to serve God from dawn to dark in less-than-luxurious conditions, with cultural barriers, communication barriers, sickness, exhaustion, and unmet expectations along the way. In this circumstance, it simply cannot be expected, humanly speaking, that no one would complain.
But they didn't. They kept their eyes stayed upon the Lord, asked for and expected Him to work in a marvelous way, and kept serving Him with patience.
That is simply a testimony of God's grace.
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| Some of our team, including people from the USA, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines |
"...gratitude truly is my life preserver. Even in the most turbulent waters, choosing gratitude rescues me from myself and my runaway emotions. It buoys me on the grace of God and keeps me from drowning in what otherwise would be my natural bent toward doubt, negativity, discouragement, and anxiety. Over time, choosing gratitude means choosing joy. But that choice doesn't come without effort and intentionality."
Take some time to marvel at God's wondrous works in your life over the past week. Even in a storm of sorrows, there lies a multitude of blessings waiting to be noticed. When we choose to be grateful, we can always find things to thank God for.
God does not place us in uncomfortable circumstances so that our hope is dampened, but rather so that we can realize that we serve a God who freely offers hope in spite of our circumstances and ourselves!
GE (College Freshman)
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