It is so hard to believe that my time here is halfway over, but oh.my.goodness....i have so much to share with you. I am sitting here trying to think of a fluid way to convey all that I have learned and experienced over the past few weeks. The other day I was working by myself at a little Icee cart on the Boardwalk, and was able to reflect a little bit and compile a list of things that summarize tidbits of what I have been learning/experiencing here. I wrote them on a bit of receipt paper so that I could share them with you. I'm so looking forward to expounding further on these topics in the following paragraphs :)
Things I have thoroughly enjoyed so far:
- outreaches downtown...having in-depth conversations with locals about spiritual things. Sharing Christ with them, and having to completely rely on the Holy Spirit for words, for courage, and for pretty much everything. At a place like Santa Cruz, you seriously have no idea what you will encounter in conversation with others, and it has been so amazing to be challenged and to see God at work
- working alongside co-workers...building relationships with them. I love walking down the Boardwalk in the morning to get to my assigned food location, and on my way seeing people that I know/have worked with and being able to have conversations with them, wave to them, and call them by name. I love working in food service because conversations are able to take place, friendships are formed, and we are able to love our co-workers by serving them and living out Christ through actions. We are also able to joke, laugh, and learn. Things that I have been doing a lot of :)
- visiting San Francisco...I had never been there before. We took a day trip there last week and I was blown away! Definitely one of my favorite places that I have visited. Not only was the weather perfect, but the city was so unique and unlike anything that I have seen. I loved spending the day with some of my Project friends, and experiencing "The City" that I had only heard about or seen on TV. Highlights: visiting Fisherman's Wharf, seeing the Golden Gate from a distance, eating clam chowder while overlooking the water, taking the train, riding the trolley, etc.
- beautiful weather...on most days it is sunny, breezy, and "t-shirt/jeans" weather. It gets chilly at night, but not too bad. I now know what people mean when they say they love the california climate. I have only seen it rain once since I have been here. It's hard for me to imagine the 100+ degree weather in NC, because it has been pretty consistent here--- I practically live in jeans and adore my crewneck sweatshirts.
- growth...lots of it. Spiritual growth. The kind of growth that only God can do within a heart. I've been experiencing that here. We spent the first 5 weeks of Project going through a workbook called "Experiencing Christ Within" by Dwight Edwards. I would highly recommend it. Seriously. This book has challenged me on a lot of different levels, but most importantly, it has spoken truth into my life and helped me to better understand who God is and where I fit into this whole "life" thing. It answers a lot of deep questions and leads you to some beautiful realizations about the God that we serve.
- finding time to process... I am realizing more and more about myself while I have been here, and I have discovered that I need time alone to process and "digest" things mentally. Since our schedules are very busy, time to "be still" has been pushed to the side, and I have found myself struggling to process all that is happening, because I normally reflect upon things and digest life by writing it out, journaling, etc. I have realized that by not doing those things, I have been experiencing a major mental back-up of information that must find its way to paper. I am learning to make time for that and to plan accordingly, to avoid distress ;)
- thinking about leaving... before I even got here, I struggled with the thought of having to leave this place. I have come to love the people, this city, my co-workers, and what God is doing here, and that has made the thought of leaving even harder. Summer Project is such a light in this place, and it is hard to think about leaving in the midst of seeing the fruit of His Spirit at work.
- being intentional in spending time with others...our main ministry opportunity and focus is our co-workers. We work 35-40 hour weeks, and because of the time that we spend alongside them, we are able to get to know them and build relationships with them. It doesn't take long for them to notice something different in us, to ask us why we are there, and to inquire more about our lives, where we are from, and what we are about. I cannot tell you how awesome it has been to see the Lord in all of this. He is so contagious. (more stories to come of these specific interactions). I have witnessed the pure beauty of seeing Him work, and seeing others recognize His love exhibited in the workplace, and it has been truly amazing. Honestly, it has been such an encouragement, and one of the coolest things I have ever seen. But the challenge comes with the hardest part being initiating time with co-workers outside of work. Since we do have a pretty busy schedule, it has been challenging to arrange times to hang out with co-workers because people work at different times. Please pray that God would provide opportunities to meet and also that He would align schedules with co-workers and allow us to grow closer with each of them. We have come across multiple co-workers who are curious about having relationships with the Lord! Please pray that God would continue to open their hearts and fuel their desire for Him. Please also pray for us, that we would be bold in sharing Christ with others and not withhold the Truth, but share with others the life-giving freedom of having a personal relationship with Jesus. Pray that we would not give up on pursuing these friendships and that the Lord would provide opportunities for us to share the Gospel--- That He would stir hearts and draw others to Him, and that co-workers would come to place their trust in Christ.
"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And
how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How
beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?' So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
(Romans 10:14-17)
So what does this mean? Our very purpose is to glorify God. We are here on this earth to make His name famous. He deserves all of the glory, all of the praise. He's not there to "fix" our lives, but rather we are here to be part of HIS greater plan to reveal His glory. We are to live in a manner that gives others a greater glimpse of Him.
But how often do I try to glorify myself, to make my own name known? How often do I strive to build my own image instead of showing Christ and what He represents?
Does my life display His glory? Am I living for Him or for me? Am I placing Christ on the throne of my life? Who's receiving the glory in my life?
We're called to live for the One who died for our sins. Who took our place. Who offers us life. freely. A life in relationship with Him, and eternally in His Kingdom. What is holding you back from knowing Him and making Him known?
