Awakening in Wales

I have been back from Wales for a week now, but it feels as though it has been much longer than a week.  I wish I could have stayed so much longer, but God’s plan and timing are both perfect so I have to trust that.  This year was vastly different from our last trip to Wales.  Last year, the focus was primarily on outreach and we saw many salvations.  This year, we went thinking we were going to see the same thing; going to the parks and getting a lot of the Welsh youth to come to our youth nights.  However, we had the weather working against us this year.  The cold and rain forced us to stay inside, and the youth just did not come out as much.  We got youth to come; but as much as we tried to get them to come back another day, they just would not.  I got frustrated, and one night after much prayer and just talking to God I realized that His plan was different from ours.

Though we had been caught up looking for the youth to come and get saved, He would rather us focus on growing and discipling the youth who had already made decisions.  I realized that is what we had been doing all week anyway; we had come with planned devotions and small group studies and so we were really able to pour into the core youth.  I realized that this needs to be our primary focus anyway; growing the Welsh youth.  Because it doesn’t matter what we do as Americans, because at the end of the week we are going to leave.  The rest of the work is going to fall on their shoulders.  Whether or not this youth group is going to grow and change is going to depend on what they do.  If they go out there and do the same things we did, they could rock that town.  It may be hard and it may take time, but if they just stick with it they will plant seeds and see God do some amazing things.

The nation of Wales itself needs an awakening.  They need hope.  One of the teens I spoke to talked to me about how she needed to quit smoking.  I told her to go for it, but she said, “I can’t.  Everybody smokes, that’s just the way it is over here.”  This seems to be the attitude of most of the Welsh.  I brought this up in the last meeting, that if the youth just believed in themselves and quit underestimating their potential they could really rock this town for God.  One of the adults told me, “But that’s the general attitude of the Welsh.  We have been defeated so many times, that we just have this natural feeling of defeat.”  This really broke my heart.  That all of the teenagers…they just all smoke and drink…and just automatically believe that even if they graduated from school they will probably have to live off their welfare.  They need hope, restoration…

But I know God has a plan!  I can already see small hints of God’s plan.  Five of the students over in Wales are flying over here to come to summer camp with our church this summer.  This is going to be amazing and such an incredible experience for all of them.  Just for them to come to camp and really take it all in…see different American youth groups…see what true congregational worship is…hear some amazing messages from the speakers.  It’s going to all be great, and I know this is going to really grow these youth and hopefully bring them closer so they can lean on each other.

God has a plan, I always think back to the Steven Curtis Chapman songs, “Yours.”  He reminds us that all the people in the world are His…and God can take care of them better than we ever could.  I have such a problem with control and I just want to take matters into my own hands…do everything I can to get the teenagers to come…to make sure they get saved.  But it’s not me.  It’s God’s work and God’s doing.  Sometimes He chooses to use us in small instances…and we get small glimpses of His glory.  Of who He is because for a moment He is working through us.  But at the same time, we don’t always get to see the growth of the seeds we plant.  Nevertheless, the teenagers in Wales are God’s children.  He has a plan for them.

On the way to Wales this year…I read a few things by Beth Moore (who by the way is my favorite right now).  She talked about asking God to “show off” to her…just in everything she sees.  So I started to pray that…for God to show off His glory to me.  Last year, the last night we spent in Wales, God painted a beautiful sunset in the sky.  I never cease to be amazed at His glory revealed to us through His creation.  This year, our last night there God decided to paint a double rainbow for us.  It only lasted a few minutes, and you can barely see the top one…but man it was beautiful.  I sometimes get so frustrated with life because I so badly wish I could capture the beauty of nature with my camera so I can always hold onto it, but I just never can because pictures just don’t do it justice.  The bottom rainbow was so bright…it was almost as if God had just dipped his paintbrush and drew it across the sky.

Double Rainbow in Wales

I had never seen anything so beautiful.  It reminded me of when God painted the first rainbow in the sky for Noah, to represent His promise for the people.  I believe God was promising us something that night, that He had a plan for this nation.  An incredible plan that is probably greater than anything I could imagine!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Beyond the Clouds

I had an epiphany awhile back.  About a year ago, to be exact.  I should have written about it back then, but I had almost forgotten about it until the other day.  It was a warm and sunny day and I decided to lay outside in the hammock, listen to worship music, and watch the clouds go by in the sky.  It was warm whenever the sun was shining through, but then a big cloud would cover it for a few minutes.  I had to wait for the cloud to pass by before the sun would shine and get warm again.  Between the breaks of sunlight, I kept debating if I should go back inside because it got a little chilly…but I held out for that moment when the sun broke back through.  Because it was in those moments when the cloud was blocking the sun, that made me appreciate it even more when I could feel the sunlight once again.

Anyway, it reminded me of my flight over to Wales last year.  We were landing in Amsterdam.  The sky was perfect and the sun was shining.  We could see clouds low to the ground, though.  And of course, once we landed the sky was gray and extremely cloudy.  But I had a thought…it was incredibly obvious and simple, but something I never really thought about before.  Even though it was gray and cloudy to us on the ground, I had just seen the sun shining just as bright as ever right above the clouds.   And I kept thinking…the sun is ALWAYS shining.  Even when we can’t see it, or feel it.  Always.  Even on the rainiest, cloudiest day…just beyond the clouds the sun is up there shining.  Almost as if saying, “Don’t worry! I’m here!  Just hold out and the storm will pass soon enough, until then I’m right here just beyond the clouds.”  Even at nighttime, the sun is shining on the other side of the world.  It never stops.

That’s the way it is with God.  He’s always up there, shining His light; even when we can’t always see it or feel it.  Even when we are in the middle of the many storms of life…He’s up there.  Because without those storms, let’s face it, we would not appreciate God as much.  We wouldn’t appreciate His grace and mercy until those difficult trials in life that remind us how badly we need it.  We would take for granted everything that means something to us if we didn’t have it taken away from us at some point.  We need those storms, and when they do come we must always remember that it’s okay.  Because like the sun, God is still shining if we just reach beyond the clouds.  He is always there.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

<3 B

Time is in His hands…

Lately one of the things that has been on my mind is God’s timing, and how impeccable it is.  I can remember from studying the life of Moses in BSF, that God cares about ALL the details; even the smallest, minute ones that most people would look over.  God cares about timing, as well; and He has a plan for our lives and that involves submitting to His will and HIS timing, not our own.  I feel like I am at a time in my life where I have finally discovered what passions God has put on my heart, but that it is still not the time for me to just throw myself into that area of ministry.  I feel like I could pursue and make it happen if I really wanted to, but that would be taking matters into my own hands and acting outside of God’s will.  I’ve been reading a lot of Joshua Harris’ stuff lately, and he wrote in one of his books that “The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.”  This really spoke to me, and made me realize that even when we do what we believe is the right thing, if we do it prematurely we are sinning because we are taking our own control of the situation.  We need to learn patience, and trust that God knows what He is doing.  I had a good talk with my mom yesterday, and she told me that even when you know what God has placed in your heart…WAIT for His timing.  But while you’re waiting, don’t just sit around…start working at it so when He tells you it is ready, you will BE ready.   Perhaps He hasn’t brought you any opportunities because you are not ready; we can’t just always rely on God to do everything, you know.  God is in charge and in control, but that doesn’t mean you get to sit back and be lazy and trust Him to provide EVERYTHING.  We must also act, and work hard to get where God wants us.  Sometimes that even means serving in a different capacity than what you are used to.  One of many things Beth Moore talked about at Passion….that REALLY hit home to me…was when she said that God is constantly adjusting us.  So even when you feel like you’re in a place where you don’t fit, it’s because God is fitting you.  He is growing you and challenging you…don’t fight it.  Just go with it, as uncomfortable as it may seem.  He will let you know when you are released.

Something else I’ve realized lately…not only with timing but also with circumstances…  I always had the idea that whenever everything works out perfectly, it was meant to be.  If things don’t work out perfectly, it wasn’t mean to be.  But now I see that is not necessarily always the case.  If we are truly pursuing God’s vision and His purpose, it is supposed to feel like we’re swimming upstream.  Things won’t work out perfectly or the way we want them to…but that doesn’t mean we won’t see God’s provision because as long as He has called us to do something He will provide a way there.  But just because something does or doesn’t work out beautifully…does not make a difference.  It does not seem like things always worked out perfectly for the people in the Bible, and yet they knew they were seeking after God’s plan.  I think what happens is we give ourselves way too much credit thinking it is possible for us to succeed outside of God’s will.  Sometimes I’m afraid that I will only make it half-way somewhere and then realize I made a mistake; I am constantly afraid of acting outside of God’s will…to the point when it comes to really big decisions I tend to choose the safe route because I don’t want to pick a difficult one and realize half-way down it wasn’t what God wanted for me.  But you know what, if God really doesn’t want something to happen, He simply won’t allow it.  Sometimes He will allow us to start pursuing it, but then cast another vision before we get too far.  This has happened to me so many times.  But we must constantly be in the Word and in prayer so we will recognize when and where He is guiding us.  We must always remember Ecclesiastes 3…when Solomon stresses that there is a time for everything, “A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” (3:7-8)

Another verse in Ecclesiastes I love (because Solomon was just the man…he knew what was up!) is 9:11

I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise, or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.

How true is this…if you really think about it.  Time and chance are what determine everything.  Not necessarily strength or wisdom…knowledge, riches….but it’s all about being at the right place at the right time.  We have no control over time and chance…we can prepare ourselves as much as we think we can…but ultimately God decides when the time will come for us to truly put what we’ve learned and how we’ve grown into practice.

We just need to trust God and realize that His timing and details are SO important.  When the time comes, we will know and we will be ready.  But until then, don’t try to rush anything.  I hope this made sense, it makes complete sense to me for where I am in my life right now!

<3 B