I have referred to Lifest as a taste of what heaven will be like one day. Lots of brothers and sisters, worshiping and praising God all day, every day. If that is what heaven will be like I am excited. I am ready.
This year my friend Gayle and I, once again, led four campsites worth of teens and young adults. We have always enjoyed our time with these young souls. But this year we had been questioning our ministry there. Were we having any effect? Were we making an impact for God's kingdom? We were having doubts. So we prayed. And guess what? God answered.
Shortly after we prayed a friend of mine came up to where we were sitting and said hello. After a welcome home hug we began talking about Lifest and I told her about our questioning the ministry my friend and I were doing. She told me that she believed we were there for relationships. Building relationships through our common love for the people there.
Little did I know but at the same time I was having this conversation my ministry partner was having a similar conversation with some one else 100 yards away from me. The people we talked to each told us it was our relationships with others that was the most important.
Later that day we walked past the large food area here known as "Downtown." My friend saw one of our "kids" sitting all by herself, sad. So she stopped and listened for 20 minutes or so. I smiled. This was the perfect example of why we are there.
Later that night at the Casting Crowns concert a a lady came up to me and asked me who I was. I reminded her of someone a friend who had died a year ago - Chuck. She asked me my name and when she heard my last name was Hall she dropped to her knees. Chuck's last name was Hall. So was the last name of Casting Crowns lead singer that night - Mark Hall.
She told us the whole story of his cancer and the grieving wife he left behind and the pain of the loss she had been experiencing for the past year. She asked for prayers so my friend and I knelt down and prayed with this lady, right in the middle of 20,000 of other brothers and sisters. Relationships. God had given us the answer to our prayers by using us in a relationship with someone in need.
How is your relationship with Jesus? I hope it is good. I hope it is solid. We all can have doubts as my friend and I had but if we seek God in prayer and humbly ask how we may serve Him, He will answer. He will most definitely answer. :)
"4 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." - Ephesians 4:1-6
Just Be Held - Casting Crowns
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