This week I wish to summarize what I experienced and learned in Austria. It was one of those times that words can’t even come close to describing, yet I feel like there is one word that summed up what I felt and that word is freedom.
One of the things I really experienced, is that God is overwhelmed with love for us. This may sound basic and to be honest I could have told you this before but in Austria I really felt this. It really made sense to me, if you imagine someone who you love with your whole heart, you always want them to be happy and you always want what’s best for them. You don’t want them doing things they don’t want to do to make you happy, you are overjoyed when they include you in things that they love to do. This means that God doesn’t want us to take just some time out of our day to serve Him (although there is nothing wrong with that); He wants to be a part of every moment of our life while we do what truly makes us happy. All the rules and guidelines in the Bible are there to make our life easier; they are not there to make life dull. I am constantly amazed at how bad we are at trying to figure out what makes us happy, especially when it’s all there laid out for us in the Bible.
Another thing that I discovered is that it’s good and healthy to be friends with girls. Now this requires a bit of a Brandon background moment, from a young age I was always one to be shy around girls. This changed during high school when I began to date, but because I was dating I never hung out with any other girls (I have only ever had one girlfriend). At Bible school Haley wasn’t there (which was good for my growth) so I had time to hang out with other girls and it was really cool. I found that as friends it’s easier to be open and honest with them and it’s so easy to grow when you are willing to be a little more vulnerable and talk about things you are struggling with.
On a similar note, I realized that I am much more social than I thought I was. I love being around people, I love growing with people, helping them through struggles, or just simply having fun hanging out with them. I also thought that I didn’t like people all that much, because I never really enjoyed being around big crowds. I just like it better to have more of an intimate time with people because it’s much easier to help others this way (and to be helped).
Awesome Hill Between Cranbrook and Kimberely by Brandon Peters
I learned so much about relationships (boyfriend/girlfriend) that I never knew before. I was never really taught about being the spiritual leader in a relationship and because of that I am sure that growth didn’t happen as much as it could have. I also learned that love is a choice that you have to make every day. There are going to be thousands of temptations out there but you have to make a daily decision to love one person and one person only. Things get hard over time but making this decision every day is one of the greatest displays of love that one can show.
Finally, at Bible school I was able to experience freedom from the things that I struggled with at home because of daily routine. It’s so easy to get comfortable with everyday life and just do what we have to do to get by. But I realize that this really doesn’t make us happy in life, life is so much more exciting when we are getting out there and doing things for God. Whether it’s putting on a program for school kids or helping your neighbor shovel their driveway, we are meant to show love whenever we can. I can’t even begin to explain the happiness that comes from living life how we are meant to.
So yeah, these words don’t come close to explaining the joy I experienced at school, but it’s all I got right now. To be honest with you though right now life is more difficult than ever before. I expected things to be hard when I got home; I knew that it was a total mountaintop experience and that Satan would do his best to ruin it. I was prepared for that, but to be honest what I have gone through this week absolutely dropped me to rock bottom.
I can’t go into details (I know that is frustrating, sorry!) but I share the easy times with you, so I figured it was also fitting to share the hard. I also know that Satan wants to take me and break me right now. I know that he wants me to sit at home confused, lost, and hurting inside wondering why. I will not give him that satisfaction; I will take this hurt and hopelessness inside and turn it around into productivity. God is here holding me up and that’s all I’ll ever need, I will fill my life with Him even more and become stronger than ever. I thank you for your prayers during this time (sorry I can’t tell you more) and I wish that you would pray not for things to get easier and that I would grow as much as possible during this time. Pray that I won’t sit at home doing nothing, pray that I will go out and experience life more than ever.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
This song has brought me to prayer in tears more than I thought possible this week and I am not normally an emotional person so I thought it would be fitting to share:
[ilink url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2RP6DRVWpU”]Let the Waters Rise – Mikeschair[/ilink]
