A God Thing

So Good Friday was encouraging. God continues to amaze me with the things he has up his sleeves.

During Spring Break I attended the Jr. High Youth Group. I helped lead worship at it with a few friends and it was all peaches and creme until we finished the second to last song and I suddenly heard someone yell "SHUT UP!!!" It shocked me to hear a sixth or seventh grader shout something like that in the middle of worship, whether they are focusing on God like they are supposed to or not. This discouraged me very greatly because I am supposed to be interning there this summer, and seemingly nothing had changed since I had left and gone to college. I immediately got discouraged and afraid about what my internship was going to be like during the summer.

Later, at the end of the week on Sunday, I was at church. Brandon had just finished sharing about how he felt God was going to use the church for great things. We then started to sing "God of this City," by Chris Tomlin. That song is soo powerful. I immediately felt connected to God's heart and so I stood up and lifted my hands while I sang my heart out and proclaimed "Greater things are yet to come! Greater things are yet to come! Greater things are still to be done in this city!"

God spoke to me in those moments and encouraged me about the summer. He told me not to worry about the summer because he was going to do something great in and through me. It was so encouraging and so comforting. I sit and think about what God could do this summer, and I get really excited.

That was amazing.

Then I go home this weekend for Easter. My parents came up to Redding on Thursday to pick Bryan, Dan, and I up. Before we even left Redding my parents told me that we were moving right at the beginning of May (like right after I get out of school). Instead of living in our 4 bedroom, 2 bath, atleast 1,600 sq. ft. house, we will be living in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 600 sq. ft. shack behind our good friends' house. This is not exciting to me at all, and I also have to live in our camper trailer the whole summer. But I keep getting reminded of what God wants to do this summer. I am also encouraged by the fact that my parents are talking about how they are getting ready and are waiting for what God wants them to do. I really have no idea what they are going to do, but I am so joyful that they are trying to find God's heart for them.

Back to the story, I go to the Good Friday service at my church. I get to talking really quickly with my Youth Pastor Dewbe, whom I will be interning with during the summer, and he tells me that he and Dave (the head pastor) want me to be at the church full time and that he is working on getting people in the church to sponsor me so that hopefully I can get paid $1,000 per month. That is way more than I imagined I would get paid. God is definitely taking care of me and setting things up for the summer, and I feel so blessed.

Lord,
THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU ARE DOING!!! I pray that You continue to work on my heart for this summer and for the hearts of people in Brentwood. I pray for opportunities and divinely constructed events for me and others in the church to share your love with people. Lord thank you for taking care of me and setting things up for the summer. I can't help but get excited when I think about what you could possibly have up your sleeve for this summer. I love you very much!
Amen.

Your Willing Servant, James.