Revival

I remember walking the short block from my apartment on Ohai St. to Surfing the Nations between 2011 & 2014. Many days I dragged my feet, wishing I was living overseas. It’s funny because everything that I actually longed for was at my fingertips, but our hearts long for what we think we don’t have, when often it’s right in front of us.

During those years of living and working in community, I learned some of life’s greatest lessons. I learned about leadership, public speaking, listening to my heart, guiding a community, working hard, and pressing on when things become routine and hard.

One illustration that Tom Bauer used to commonly share was about how following Christ is like being at the pool. There are people standing around the pool, thinking about getting in, some dip their toes in, some only go to their waist, while others dive head in. The Kingdom of God is like an underwater creation, filled with creatures you can’t see on land, but you only see when you take the dive of faith to experience something unknown and sometimes scary. Those who stay above the surface will never see the beauty of coral, schools of bright colorful fish and the beauty of all that lives under the ocean surface.

Our church in Blantyre, Flood Church, has been wanting to host a college outreach night for nearly 9 months. It kept getting pushed off for one reason or another. A few weeks ago we finally made it happen! One of our young adults was supposed to share that night, but something happened and she wasn’t able to come and so I popped on stage and shared this same message. It was a great night with games, fellowship, worship & the encouragement.

The following Thursday, we had some newcomers to the our regular gathering. There are about 30 regulars who come through our young adult nights, but typically only 16-20 show up each week. This past Thursday, I felt led to create space for people to talk about childhood pain. While I am sure that each person in the group would have things to share, we only had time for seven or eight people to share. Some have carried heavier burdens than others.

When I had been at Surfing the Nations in 2008, we once had an It’s a Wonderful Life party for one of our brothers. The party was based on the premice of the movie which is that everyone’s life has meaning and purpose. In the movie, the main character George gets to view life without him in it, and he realizes the positive impact he had on his community.

It’s beautiful to not give up when seasons are hard, when people aren’t as interested, when you go through the slump. Life is never completely on the peaks of the mountains. There are highs and lows. I’m grateful for the season we are in, and the way everyone is growing in their faith.