My face was glued
to the window as the shuttle took me from the Denver airport to where I’d be
living for the summer, Fort Collins, Colorado. A storm was brewing overhead,
but there was sunshine streaming down over the Rockies out in the distance; I
was in awe at the limitlessness and beauty of mountains of CO, drinking in
every moment of the 90min drive to Colorado State University. I didn’t really
have any idea of what to expect for the summer. I was nervous, but excited
about the next 6 weeks to come. My flight was delayed so I had just enough time
to drag my 60lb suitcase up into my room and jump in a random car to head to
our first meeting. That room we met in
would soon be one that I spent more time in than my own bed. So many hours were
spent sitting in that auditorium, learning more about God and who He is, the
mission of Cru, and sometimes desperately trying not to fall asleep during
class (whoops).
Our first two weeks or so we spent
taking two grad level seminary classes, diving into scripture and learning how
to grow in our relationship with the Lord, and how to help others do so as
well. I did enjoy taking classes, I felt like I was in college again, living in
a dorm, making new friends, and having a meal plan where I could eat dessert
whenever I wanted. The next three weeks we focused on support raising training.
It was a good refresher to be reminded that God provides and has called us here
for this purpose of ministry. Our last
10 days were our bi-annual National Staff conference. 5,000 people showed up on
CSU’s campus and we as new staff, were surrounded by people that God had called
to this ministry years back and had provided for. It was sweet to be a part of
that and see the bigger picture.
This was a difficult summer, but it
was also wonderful. It was a surprisingly drier summer spiritually than I
thought, but the times that I had with the Lord in worship and in His word were
sweet and I clung to those when I was exhausted, alone, and wanting to give up
and throw in the towel.
I think the theme of what I learned
is how God’s timing is p e r f e c t.
I met a wonderful group of friends almost halfway through my time there, and at
first wondered why I hadn’t met them on the first day… but God gently showed me
that I wouldn’t have been in a great place for that. He needed me to be where I
was in the first few weeks, depending more on Him than I would have if I had that
immediate community I wanted. There were a couple times where I just sat on the
floor of my room and cried to the Lord, just asking Him for community to come
into my life while at CSU, and he provided some of the best people to show up
shortly after one of those nights. His timing was so gracious and thoughtful. I
loved getting to know people from all over, and getting to worship the Lord
with them. God is so unique and
beautiful in the ways he created our stories to all weave together as the body
of Christ. I still am in awe of just how the timing of everything was so
intricately orchestrated by Him.
I was not looking forward to coming back
because that would mean I would be alone again, raising support, and I was
terrified, it literally would bring me to tears in my last remaining days in CO
because I was afraid of what was to come. But thankfully I’m not alone. He
keeps showing me in little ways that He is here with me, and reminding me that just
because my community is not close to me in proximity, we still can encourage
and love one another during this season of raising support. It’s still been hard being home, but the Lord
has blessed me with my loving family, and friends all over the US now to
encourage and grow with. He wants me to let go and trust Him with my future,
and with the timing He has for the next several months. He knows what’s best.
He has provided finances, community, truth, and love in His timing before and
it’s been so so good. He is to be glorified in all things. One thing that I
daily have to give to the Lord is control of my life. It’s a way He can show me
how I can trust Him with the big things, and the little things. Every morning I
get up and I have to give my day to the Lord, and a few hours later I have to
do it again. It’s so easy to start listening to the lies from the enemy, but we
have to keep running back to Jesus, to the Truth. He is our stronghold. He is
holding us in his arms. He is in control.
God’s timing is p e r f e c t. This next season, no matter what it is for you, is
an adventure that we get to go on with Him. Rejoice in that truth. Rest in that
truth. Soak in it. Praise the Lord.
