That We May...

These past few weeks have been CRAZY.  I've literally not slowed down since school got out for the summer.

I wrote/revised our instructional units with my awesome English department....

I went to the LIFT worship leader's conference at PCC with Karen and Ashton...

I went to Thomasville for Miss Molly Caroline's birth...

I helped Mama and Mandy pick and can green beans for three days...

I started summer semester classes for my EdS...

        (The only picture that could possibly capture this is one of me facedown on the floor... kicking and
        screaming. HA!)

I worked with a whole bunch of youth to help kick off the Gathering Place for our county's youth...

And I left on a mission trip to Jacksonville with our church's youth group.

While Karen, Ashton, and I were at LIFT, I was really challenged by a verse that PCC is using as a guiding verse of sorts.  The verse comes from 1 Peter 2:9.  It says "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so THAT YOU MAY proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

The concept of THAT YOU MAY has totally rocked my world.  It's because of who we were and who Christ is and what He did for us so that we could be who we are today that we may do everything we do.  That we may wake up and get out of bed today.  That we may share a smile with a person we pass on the street.  That we may spend time in the Word.  That we may help a stranger broken down on the side of the road.  That we may give of ourselves to those around us.  That we may give to God what is due Him - tithing, generous giving, time, heart.  That we may share who God is to us and how He's changed our lives.  Because of our salvation, because of the fact that He called me out of darkness and into marvelous light, we may.  It's a game-changer for me.  It's totally shifted my thinking, and it's made me so much more aware of my attitude and the purposeful nature of which I should live my life.  That we may is huge.  It even helped me complain a little less about picking green beans last week.  :)  (Now, Mama.... no comments.  Haha!)

Several weeks ago, Philip (the youth pastor at my church) asked if I'd consider going with the youth to Jacksonville on a mission trip this summer.  I told him yes with no hesitation.  See, a loooooong time ago, I went to NYC with the BSU and fell in love with inner city mission work.  It was my first taste of missions, and I fell in love with truly serving people then and there.  It's hard to admit, but I might have ignored this love for quite some time.  This week has really opened my eyes to what I believe to be a calling on my life.  Do I think I'm supposed to go into missions full time?  No.  Do I believe I should be spending at least some of my free time in missions?  Absolutely.  

Rewind a bit.  I told Philip yes.  Then I realized that Molly Caroline was due around the same time.  I told him that I'd go... but only if MC had already been born.  The Lord took care of that "little" obstacle of mine, and Nicole was induced early.  

Then I started summer classes.  Oh my goodness.  I don't think I've ever experienced a semester like this one.  In ONE class (I'm taking two), I had EIGHTEEN assignments due this first week.  The week of the mission trip.  So, I gave Philip another challenge - "I can only go if there's wireless at the church."  Check.  Obstacle two avoided.   

And so I wound up in Jacksonville with ten youth and a youth pastor.  We're working with an organization called Presbyterian Social Ministries.  They do a program called Urban Mission Experience.  We've spent three full days working with various non-profit programs and social ministries this week.

On the first day, we went to Seniors on a Mission.  SOAM helps senior citizens in the Jacksonville community go on day-long mission trips within their own city.  It's a really neat organization.  The boys helped move a refrigerator and box up and load heavy books.  The girls and I went over to Mr. Dave's headquarters and sorted, mended, patched, folded, and boxed clothes to be used in clothes closet ministries.  The boys joined us when the heavy work was done, and we worked on clothes the rest of the day.  The kids were awesome. They had such a good time, and their attitudes were top notch.  

On the second day, we started out at Angelwood.  Angelwood is a ministry that works with individuals with special needs.  They have recently been blessed with a facility of their own, and they are in the beginning stages of rehabbing the building and getting it ready for use.  We were tasked with helping clean up the yard.  We pressure washed the building, moved construction debris, cut the grass, pulled weeds, sprayed for weeds, and other odd jobs around outside.  Now, if you know me at all, you know I do not love yard work or plants.  (I'm trying to get better.  I've actually kept THREE plants alive at my house since April!  Woot!)  I also don't love heat... or sweat for that matter.  I'm a true girly-girl.  This was a true that I may moment for me.  I even cut grass!  (Granted... a small area... but still.  I haven't cut grass since I cut it in the wrong direction and almost tore up the mower as a teenager and Daddy banished me from yardwork.)  

For the second half of the day, we worked at Second Harvest food bank.  We sorted and boxed food, along with other odd jobs around the warehouse.  It's amazing the amount of food donated here!  HUGE warehouses.  HUGE.  

Today, we started out at the Clara White Mission.  Clara White Mission has a ton of various programs - dormitories and showers for veterans, janitorial and culinary programs, and a place where they feed the homeless and people with need.  This morning we helped serve breakfast to those in need.  It was an awesome morning.  Before we started, I shared that we may with the kids, and they seemed to really get it.  It kept coming up in conversation throughout the day.  Made my heart smile.

I'm about to tear up just writing about this.  I wish I could fully explain just what the Lord did in my heart today.  One thing I know for sure is homeless ministry has part of my heart.  It is so humbling and so fulfilling to be able to truly serve those who are less fortunate than me in such a very tangible way.  I kept hearing lyrics to Hillsong's Hosanna in my mind all morning on broken-record-repeat.  "Break my heart for what breaks yours...."  The Lord's heart breaks for those who are in need.  There is no part of Him that relishes in hearts that are broken and needs that are unmet.  I'm praying that He will continue to break my heart for the things that break His.

We met some amazing people today.  We met volunteers who served with a smile, volunteers who served simply because they have to meet some requirements, volunteers who don't have a light in their eyes, and volunteers who spoke of the Lord's blessings.  We met angry people who just wanted food.  We met a kitchen staff that worked tirelessly to provide the food for the guests.  We met people who were so very kind and thankful for the hot meal that was placed before them.  We met some men who shared laughs with us when in true CB-fashion, I danced and sang in the serving line.  They said they were thankful for the chorus line that accompanied breakfast!  We met white people.  Black people.  Hispanic people.  Disabled people.  Women.  Men.  Children.  Families.  You see, hunger has no bounds.  It can affect everyone.  Many times this week, I've been reminded that people can go from a "normal" life one month to living on the streets the next.  

The last family that came in today really broke our hearts - a mama who recently left unsafe living conditions and moved her six children to a shelter to avoid the state taking the children away.  Heartbreaking.  I knelt down and looked into the eyes of an innocent little two or three year old little girl before they left, and I'm just wrecked by what I saw in those eyes.  Her future is uncertain.  I don't know if she'll ever come to know the Lord.  But what I do know is that for one tiny moment in time, kind people who keep a mission running were able to meet a need for her.  

That Mama hugged me today when they left, and I had to turn away quickly so she wouldn't see me cry.  I absolutely broke down.  I have so much.  And all God asks is that I share myself with others.  I've never been as challenged in my life to live out my faith and give of myself.  And it's all because I may.

This afternoon was another great experience.  We went to the Teacher Supply Depot.  The TSD is an organization that gives the teachers of Duvall County free resources to use in their classroom - everything from school supplies to books to decorations to craft resources.  We helped sort items, bundle them into groups, and some of the kids got to exercise their creative streaks by painting bean bag toss boards.  

My heart is just overflowing with joy tonight as I sit and type.  I'm tired, but I just want to capture everything before my crazy memory forgets.  I know I'm walking away from this week changed, and I'm hoping that the youth are, too.  

I'm not writing this for a pat on the back or an "I'm proud of you."  I'm writing this because the Lord was gracious enough to change another part of my heart this week.  I'm writing this because God is good.  I'm writing this because it's one more way that He's called me out of darkness of heart and into marvelous light.