Ok, so I pretty much just got back from a retreat, or InterVarsity's Fall Conference.It happened this last Friday(8th), and ended tonight(9th). Like my title says, I wish that it was at least another day longer.
Even though it was shorter than what I am use to for retreats, I got to get to know the people that are apart of the JCCC InterVarsity Chapter. I am so happy that the people were able to come were able to get off work even if it were last minute, I was happy to see them there. There were ummm.... Rebekah, Caylee, Beth, Andy, Jon, Jake, Jason, Joey, and me!!! And yes we did have all those guys with names that started with "j's."
At first I can honestly tell you that I wasn't really sure what I was going to get out of being there. I can tell you that I needed this break. I can tell you honestly that what I was happy about at the beginning of the retreat wasn't the same thing I was happy about at the end.
To say the least, I had things on my mind that was a hinderous from what God wanted me to listen for. Whether it was certain people, certain to-do's, certain events, or anything else. I learned very quickly that it was not what I needed to focus on. I needed to focus on what God wanted to teach me this weekend. And I do feel that God is going to continue speaking to me, even tomorrow. I will seriously cry if what the sermon is about is anything we discussed.
Because I was doing all of this avoiding, I missed out on some great times... like going to the gazebo and singing worship, which I heard the end and it sounded like fun. Even though it was the end, you could really tell that God was there. Even as we were worshipping this amazing God that created the stars we stared at, the leaves that changed before our eyes, the friendships that bonded and grew; He was dancing and singing over and with us.
Even though I did spend alot of time alone, I did something I really haven't done in the longest time and I missed it. I painted, I sketched, I colored, and I just enjoyed God's creation through it, whether it was taking Andy's face and turning it into Jesus and using multiple mediums, or even painting a fall inspired by what I saw. It was beautiful. I was in awe. I AM in awe. How a God so large and powerful would take time to put sooo much details in the world we live in and make it so the leaves when they die turn into something absolutely goregous!!!
Ahhhh!!! That's it! There are so many things in life that when they die or something bad happens, something beautiful typically comes out of it. It's so much like us. Before we know Christ, we are ugly sinners. When we know Christ we take that dead 'skin' off and underneath in a beautiful new creation, but we also keep a peice of that 'dead skin' so it can be a testimony of what God has done in our lives.
(crazy, I, too, and still learning from God even from my experience this weekend)
I have learned soo much about my new friends. I love them all so much. They are all beautiful, inside and out. It's very true. It's just really funny how different the people from the JCCC chapter are, but yet we all have one thing in common and that's Christ. That's what makes us really get along. We are so open with one another. I just hope that we will continue to get to know one another. This group, this semester, seems to very ministry oriented. And I LOVE IT!!!! We can help each other, we all reach different people. We all have people around us we can minister to, and those people are around for a reason. Like I learned how open all of these friends are to doing God's will, even if it means stepping out of a comfort zone. AHHHH!!!! Sorry, but it's just so exciting what God's gonna do with us the rest of this semester, it seems that a fire is lit; I pray that it will never go down. May reach out to those we said we would.
