my plan.

Sometimes life can talk you out of what you think you are certain of. 

Sometimes it is people who do the talking, or circumstances, or even the evil one. 

Sometimes life just takes what it wants and leaves you hopeless and missing out on what you know you've been designed for. 

Voices mold our heart. We have to decide what voice will be the loudest speaking to who we are and who we are becoming. We long for Jesus' voice to be the loudest. We long for Jesus' voice to drown out all of the other voices we hear. 

So life and voices have been a theme of my journey over the last year or so and this last weekend at the Young Life Mission Community Weekend at Woodleaf, the speaker Pat Goodman spoke on both things. He articulated things that the Lord has been speaking to me over and over and over again. It's always fun when truth wins in conversations about life following after the heart of God. 

Pat shared that we have to see ourselves (and others) how Jesus sees us. This is such an easy thing to say, but to live it out is a whole different story. I am praying that God will help me live what I know is true. I am praying that Jesus would captivate me at my core, that who He is would be who I am. I'm praying that He would teach me to learn to hear and obey His voice. That I would be who He says I am. I am praying that even when life is tough, that life will not talk me out of what I am certain of. 

So...why Young Life? Why is this the place that the Lord has drawn my heart to serve him?

Pat explained it so well. I agree:

he said. We pray and we show up.

God has placed in my heart the call to love. (i'm pretty sure it's not a unique call, but it is the call i hear so many moments of so many days) So I'm called to love. (so are you?!?) Okay...

God came down. He lived amongst us. He put on flesh and moved into the neighborhood. He showed up, TO BE WITH us. So, how are people going to understand what that means, what that looks like for today, if we (followers of Christ who have been called to love) if we don't show up? How are people going to understand Jesus, if we're not WITH them? The pictures that Jesus painted in the scriptures about us (Christians), is that we would be light. Light penetrates darkness. He said that we would be salt. Salt isn't salty alone in it's container. You don't taste salt unless you add it to something. Jesus says we'd be the aroma of Jesus. You have to be with people for them to smell Jesus. 

I'm pretty sure that the last paragraph doesn't make a whole lot of sense (if it does, great), but what I am trying to say is that I WANT TO SHOW UP.  I know I can only do that through the power that comes from my Savior. So here is my plan, the plan that I'm letting you in on: 

I'm going to pray. I'm going to talk to my Savior. AND

I'm going to show up. I'm going to be Jesus in the flesh. I'm going to do what he asked of me.

I like this plan!