J O U R N A L

 JOURNAL

May 29, 2011

Last evening, I was really encouraged by Kerstin's sharing about how God led her from fear of students to love and how God led her to grow in her faith as she started sharing things and other teachers not only accepted but embraced her Christian materials. I felt like I could go home now and live in faith. God spoke through the sermon today too, reminding me that just as Joseph was able to do right no matter where he was, in Egypt or at home, serving Potiphar or family, so I can be one who always knows WHAT right is wherever God has me. I can go home now and continue to follow Him. 

Today, awww, I'll write about this some other time. Or not. We played some sports with junior highers from church and I am amazed. And I'm thinking about so many things now. AWHWHHHH. OK!! 

And, you'll never guess what happened. So I'm going to seven after team meeting and imma get some ice cream for Jess too. So I get out there and my parents call and i talk for like twenty minutes, get my stuff, and....I don't have enough money. I was sure I had like a hundred bucks in my wallet but oh well. Go home. I'm embarrassed, but somehow refocused and was like hey there's no reason for this, i think it's God, I want to see what reason he has for this. so i go home, get my haha thousand dollar bill, and go back to seven just in time to see Peter from church pull in. and yes, i must need to talk to him. so walk in right, pay for my stuff, and start talking to Peter. I made sure he was alright first then keep talking as we wait for the stoplight going home. Out of the blue. "Ben you know that kid?" What kid? "You know the one with the purple shirt who was here today?" ok it wasn't purple, but i finally figure out who it is after a few more questions lol. so he's like, "he's like really weird! is something wrong with him? he can't remember his own name he can't remember anything..." i'm like he can remember, he's like that with new people. his family is not very good. his parents aren't always around and he's an only child. he's only in third grade but he acts like he's in first sometimes. he goes to church...by himself, but i  don't, well, i think he really has felt God's spirit before but I don't think he knows what to do. i think we can just pray for him and pray for wisdom for ourselves." At that point, Peter turns the conversation around and amazes me. Peter, the little irresponsible brother of an older sister. Peter the small lanky boy barely in junior high who barely flunked his way through 6th grade english and is slow to plug into most social gatherings, seemingly cowardly, seemingly small in all aspects but smile, his smile being bigger and freer that anything really should be it seems...Peter surprised me, and it was God. I praised the Lord immediately as he left. He said, "Ben, this kid really needs a lot of patience. Ben, we really need to pray for him. We need to spend more time with him and find out how we can spend more time with him. Ben, we can talk about this more next time. He needs people to reach out to him." I'm still amazed. The emotion has passed, but my heart is still stunned. At the Lord's goodness. At the Lord's power. And I came, I brushed with, came this close, in real encounter with the Lord's sovereignty. I'd like to forget my wallet again. And next time, I won't forget to say, "God HAS a reason for this moment. I want to SEE this moment."

May 28, 2011

Thinking about Grace from last year's school Ming Li because I just found a gum wrapper in my sticker bag from gum I think I received from her last year. Trying not to just think, but to pray. 

Today, we invited teachers over for dinner and "Facing the Giants." Never give up.