So
I have this job as a waitress at a retired living community restaurant
that has the feel of a ritzy country club. The job presented
itself about three months ago and I thought it would be a sweet
opportunity to get some waitressing experience and regularly
be in people's lives that don't know God. It's been cool having
people in my life holding me accountable to being intentional
and also praying with me and for the people at work. I had this
idealistic picture in my head of having these amazing and life
transforming conversations every time I worked and people would
be surrendering themselves to God in no time. But, God had a
different plan. I've been learning so much about patience and
being a servant. I have to intentionally interact with both coworkers
and residents and pray that God would prepare the soil of their
hearts and build bridges for the gospel...and what does that
look like? Right now...just hanging out and talking life with
people. When I find myself fighting the desire to slack off,
I have to prayerfully remind myself that it's not about me...I'm
in this job for this season with a purpose...to love and serve
and interact with the people around me so that they may see a
glimpse of God and be drawn to Him. I've been able to meet some
of the coolest people that have had amazing life experiences...and
to know that God created and intimately knows each one of them
has been an awesome thought for me. One lady is from eastern
Europe and was a field pediatrician in Zimbabwe, another used
to fly to Beijing to shop when she was younger, one man graduated
from Duke with a law degree and has also snow skiied with the
Prince of Spain, another was one of the founders of Trader Joes,
and another fought in Iraq and saw several people killed and
wanted to find peace so he moved to Thousand Oaks (voted the
safest city in the US). Every one of these people has a story,
and it's been fun getting to hear them. I know this job isn't
forever but it is where God has me for this time, however long
or short it is, and I pray that He would use me however He wills
and that I would be obedient.
October
has been swamped with projects, midterms and life. I would notice
myself praying that the Lord would multiply the day's minutes
so I could have a chance at getting things done. It was going
well for a while, until I finally drove myself to tears. I felt
defeated and discouraged. I became so concentrated on accomplishing
A, B and C that I couldn't see beyond myself. Last Sunday I got
a cold, which was really a huge blessing in disguise. It forced
me to rest and catch up on things that I had let slip by.
God
used amazing people in my life to shake me from my tunnel vision
and make me take time to have fun. Like going to the annual EBC
Broomball tournament; it's a great time of music and slipping
and sliding around at an ice rink with friends and the EBC family...there
are not many colleges I can think of where we can also see the
faculty runnin' around, shoutin' and fallin' on the ice...if
all that doesn't put a smile on our faces, I don't know what
would!
God is so faithful to carry us through life when we seek
Him; and I feel like it so often comes through humbling ourselves
and depending on the body, depending on the people God has put
in our lives...friends, family...community is a beautiful thing!
I was driving down Cochran
Street today and saw this sign outside a restaurant shouting:
"Remodeling, Open For Business During Construction." I giggled
to myself as I realized how well that describes my life here
at EBC. I must admit first semester's construction felt a lot
more like demolition, but it revealed a lot about the way I was
built. I knew God was still on the throne, but other then that
I felt like I couldn't say a word with certainty. And yet life
didn't stop, I still had to be "open for business." But
how?! I wasn't even sure what I believed about anything anymore.
But...Yes, there's a "but." It's my third year here at EBC and
I can't even begin to describe the remodeling that's gone on
in my life. Slowly but surely God has been using amazing classes,
professors and friends to rebuild my foundation and "add on"
in my life. I'm so thankful that God has brought me to this place,
there's not an area in my life that hasn't been challenged: if
it was weak, it was torn down; if it was misplaced, it was moved
around; if it was right, it was encouraged and strengthened.
The awesome thing is that it's all from love and the desire to
create sincere disciples of Christ who believe what they believe
because it comes from the Word of the Lord. And from a desire
to create a family of believers who are going to display Christ
in their lives, at whatever stage in life and wherever they may
be!
...I get so excited when I think about it. The remodeling
will never stop but we're called to always be "open for
business."
Life will continue to roll on and we must still live. I love
to remember God's promises; He is the one who will carry us through:
"The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread? (Ps 27:1)"
The LORD is our light, our salvation and our defense...We shall
not fear nor dread what comes in life, even the reconstruction
of why and what we believe...the LORD will teach us how to live.
Hey friends! As you have read in the heading my name is Kelsey,
I'm 20 years old and I'm from a small country town in northern
California that only a few fortunate people know about. My growing
up years (however, I know I'll never stop being in the process
of growing up) were molded by fun family memories, Sunday school,
going to the same elementary school from kindergarten through Eighth
Grade with a total of twelve graduating students, then transplanting
myself into a somewhat normal size high school that seemed quite
overwhelming to me, and of course the inevitable hard times.
My
parents are awesome godly role models that I have continued to
grow closer to and become friends with. My older brother recently
got married in December of 2007 to an amazing woman that was
evidently picked out by God for him.
Now I know you're on the
edge of your seat wondering how I ended up at a place such as
EBC... well, let me inform you! When I was a sophomore in High
School my Dad was a Ponderosa summer camp counselor at Hume Lake.
Francis Chan was the speaker for that week and he began sharing
about this college with a vision for sending out equipped lovers
of God debt free! My Dad came home that weekend, told me about
it... and here I am today, going on my third year here... and
absolutely loving it!
I'm looking forward to spending the rest of the semester
with you sharing all about life as I experience it, right next
door to you or states away... |
