This week I met with a dear student friend Kaitlyn for coffee. She shared with me that she had started memorizing scripture, and wanted to quote a verse for me. She then quoted Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
I looked at Kaitlyn (not her real name) through tears and said wow-- I was speechless.
I met Kaitlyn 4 years ago in the fall of 2009- our first fall here. She joined the Navs, attended my Bible Study, and we began meeting one-on-one. She had gone to youth group growing up, but wanted to take walking with Jesus to a new level.
On one hand she was growing growing growing. She delved into the scriptures- reading John her personal quiet times, faithfully attending Nav Night, small group, and our one on ones. She even broke up with her non-christian boyfriend as she wanted to be single-minded to pursue Christ.
On the other hand- she was running from God. She joined a sorority, and got very involved in a whole new lifestyle afforded by her sorority. By the end of her freshman year she told me that walking with God felt like being in a cage- she was saying no to so many things she didn't want to let go of, and not happy at all. Walking with Jesus was anything but full of life.
While God continued to give me open doors of relationship with Kaitlyn and a really deep love for her, her desire to walk with Him diminished and all-but disappeared.
Throughout the highs and lows of her life, we continued to meet. We read through The Reason for God by Tim Koeller, we went out to lunch, we had deep talks, we talked on the phone during hard times, we laughed in coffee shops during good times. The Lord continued to give me an incredibly DEEP love for Kaitlyn. Even when I had to bend over backwards to fit in our time together, I always wanted more time with Kaitlyn. She is full of joy, life-giving, refreshingly honest, open and so very FUN! She was openly not interested in following Jesus, but welcomed a continued relationship with me.
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So this week when she quoted Ephesians 3:20-21 for me, all I wanted to do was say AMEN! She is the proof that this verse is TRUE!
Over the past 2 months, the Lord has gotten a hold of her. Kaitlyn has gone back to church for the first time in years. While listening to the sermons, she is writing down all of the verses that are referenced and studying them throughout the week. She's (by the grace of God) making major changes in her lifestyle. She's attending a Bible Study and challenging other members to commit to a whole new level of inductive study. She's writing verses on notecards, putting them in her pocket and reading them as she walks across campus. She's finding Hope in God's word. She's kneeling and praying and asking the Lord to lead and guide her life. She's clinging to Jesus, she's holding on to truth. She's telling me that she knows that everything else leaves her coming up empty, but holding on to Jesus gives her eternal hope and joy.
She're reminding me that God pays for what he orders. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, more patient than we can understand, more loving than we can fathom. He can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. He has done this. He is doing this. He will continue to do this forever.
And all I can say is AMEN! Hallelujah. Praise the Lord!
For any day that my job feels hard, daunting or not worth it, Kaitlyn's life alone is proof that it couldn't be more worth it. Thank you LORD!
I met Kaitlyn 4 years ago in the fall of 2009- our first fall here. She joined the Navs, attended my Bible Study, and we began meeting one-on-one. She had gone to youth group growing up, but wanted to take walking with Jesus to a new level.
On one hand she was growing growing growing. She delved into the scriptures- reading John her personal quiet times, faithfully attending Nav Night, small group, and our one on ones. She even broke up with her non-christian boyfriend as she wanted to be single-minded to pursue Christ.
On the other hand- she was running from God. She joined a sorority, and got very involved in a whole new lifestyle afforded by her sorority. By the end of her freshman year she told me that walking with God felt like being in a cage- she was saying no to so many things she didn't want to let go of, and not happy at all. Walking with Jesus was anything but full of life.
While God continued to give me open doors of relationship with Kaitlyn and a really deep love for her, her desire to walk with Him diminished and all-but disappeared.
Throughout the highs and lows of her life, we continued to meet. We read through The Reason for God by Tim Koeller, we went out to lunch, we had deep talks, we talked on the phone during hard times, we laughed in coffee shops during good times. The Lord continued to give me an incredibly DEEP love for Kaitlyn. Even when I had to bend over backwards to fit in our time together, I always wanted more time with Kaitlyn. She is full of joy, life-giving, refreshingly honest, open and so very FUN! She was openly not interested in following Jesus, but welcomed a continued relationship with me.
------
So this week when she quoted Ephesians 3:20-21 for me, all I wanted to do was say AMEN! She is the proof that this verse is TRUE!
Over the past 2 months, the Lord has gotten a hold of her. Kaitlyn has gone back to church for the first time in years. While listening to the sermons, she is writing down all of the verses that are referenced and studying them throughout the week. She's (by the grace of God) making major changes in her lifestyle. She's attending a Bible Study and challenging other members to commit to a whole new level of inductive study. She's writing verses on notecards, putting them in her pocket and reading them as she walks across campus. She's finding Hope in God's word. She's kneeling and praying and asking the Lord to lead and guide her life. She's clinging to Jesus, she's holding on to truth. She's telling me that she knows that everything else leaves her coming up empty, but holding on to Jesus gives her eternal hope and joy.
She're reminding me that God pays for what he orders. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, more patient than we can understand, more loving than we can fathom. He can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. He has done this. He is doing this. He will continue to do this forever.
And all I can say is AMEN! Hallelujah. Praise the Lord!
For any day that my job feels hard, daunting or not worth it, Kaitlyn's life alone is proof that it couldn't be more worth it. Thank you LORD!
