Smeagol is Free!
A hermitudinal view of...stuff...


5.29.2003  

Alrighty, thus begineth the post-OneDay post. The time in Texas was incredible, and not without an everlasting effect, I daresay. As I've processed all that was experienced, two big themes emerge.



The first is that God is worthy. It's a strange thing to come away with, 'cause it sounds like such a very obvious thing to say; I'll admit that trying to explain such an idea is hard. I guess it might be more effective to ask questions such as, "why am I going to worship God? Why am do I want to follow Him? Why am I in school as far away from surf as I could possibly be?" Ultimately, it's not because I love Him, or because I want to learn about Him, or even because He clothed Himself in sinful flesh and took on everything I can't handle about myself. Those things are all true and valid, but they come second to the fact that even were He not my Savior, even had He chosen not to save me, He would still be worthy of being bowed down to. During the night session, there were some people doing some rap poetry...one of the girls said that worship is just God giving props to Himself. I liked that a lot...I'd heard the same truth said in many different ways, but for some reason it hit me pretty hard when she said that.



The second is missions. I had asked God before I left on my trip home to give clarity as to just why I'm here, and provide a little direction as to what to do as far as ministry and school goes while I'm here. There was a little of that provided while at home, but OneDay helped tremendously, I think. The missions field thing is echoing quite a bit in my head right now, and I don't think it'll go away. To ignore it would be stupid; it'd be akin to asking God for food, Him providing, and me not partaking. If He's telling me where to go, it'd be hard not to listen. Well, in the short term, it'd be easy, but I'd never be able to live with myself until I did. I remember at one point during the Gathering, thinking of how huge my desire is to be at home right now. Then the thought struck me that it's ok for that desire to be in my heart, so long as I'm giving all my heart to Him. It's a huge part of me, but He never asks for just easy stuff. Later on that night, I had told God that I promised to go if He would send me, but He'd have to hold on to that promise 'cause I'd probably want to take that back in a few months :)



Those are the two big things I came away with. Am I blown away? I would say yes, although it wasn't as immediate as I thought it'd be. The things that are hitting me are the things that are sitting inside, and God is slowly reminding me of them as I journal it all out. I'll probably write more as the days go by, and gain a little more clarity to the things that are stewing in my mushy noggin. Some other quick thoughts before I go feed...



Kirk Cameron. Wow. When he came out to cheers, he had a semi-confounded look on his face and said that at a holy moment such as this, we shouldn't be cheering for him. If he said nothing but that, he could have gone off the stage and I would have been satisfied and convicted.



Heather Mercer, one of the two girls captured in Afghanistan a year or so ago, related the story of a ten year old girl who had asked her how old someone needed to be in order to be a missionary. When she told Heather how old she was, Heather told her that ten years old is old enough. The little girl's mother later told Heather that ever since she was eight, the girl had been praying to become a missionary. Her reasoning? She saw it very fitting that if Jesus came to die for us, we should be more than willing to die for Him. Wow. It's amazing to think that at eight years old, that girl "got it" more than most of us ever will, more than I do at this moment.



Creation sings God praises. To look around and see the glory of God displayed in all of creation is something I must do far more often...it's there, and yet so deeply ignored.



God's saving grace. It's so easy to forget how far God has brought us in our so-called "wisdom". At one point, while we sang Amazing Grace, I was reminded of the work God has done in my own life, totally undeserved. So often, I claim it as my own, and I need to have it graciously and viciously torn from the grip of my pride. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me...wow!



More later...

posted by Bolo | 11:45 AM
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