A case study of what He does

I’ll never forget the nights the Lord changed my LIFE…

Almost two years ago I was overwhelmed as I walked into Campus Crusade for the FIRST time. My discipler practically had to hold my hand as I stood next to her and nervously smiled at all the new faces around me. My heart was racing the whole time – each worship song was REVOLUTIONARY to me! Like an enthralled little kiddie I wrote down the lyrics that had made my heart SKIP a beat.

“Your friendship, it is intimate.”

I danced the whole way home! I was so ELATED and I wanted EVERYONE to know!

"I want to serve you my Lord,
I want to give you everything"

I was crazily infatuated with Jesus and learning about His intimate friendship. It didn’t make any sense but I couldn’t keep the words in. I told my girl-friend that God had led me that night to meet with Him and worship Him in fellowship...

And her look was enough to
KILL.
It was like getting pummeled in the end zone in the middle of your victory dance.
I'd been totally deflated and I didn't know how to pick myself back up.

I WANTED to go back to Cru and keep singing those songs that made my heart race.
I WANTED to read my new Bible filled with endless scripture that I’d never heard before!
I WANTED to sing praises to Jesus…

But no one wanted to hear it. It was Halloween weekend - I had 5 minutes to change and I was hours behind on pregaming. I couldn’t stand shots and I shivered as they burned my throat. I tossed my Bible and grabbed my purse as I chased my friends down the hall and out the door. What a perfect night to be wearing a costume – little Dorthy and her glittery red heals. I tried to push morals and convictions from my mind.

Drinking and dancing… we took pictures… I smiled… and laughed…

I woke-up in my bed the next morning.
I don’t remember if I made it to my classes that day,
Or what I did the night before.

But I do remember reaching underneath my back, angry that something was lodged underneath me. I pulled out my slightly crumpled Bible and my heart HIT the floor. Ohh what a foolish hypocrite I had been!

“God made people good, but they have found all kinds of ways to be bad” (Ecc 7:14).

Remembering that night is enough to break my heart a thousand times and make me wish I had a thousand lives to surrender to Jesus. I learned from that night and I CONTINUE to learn how to surrender my life to honor God. I’m still learning to rejoice in the trials of dying to myself as I keep in mind: “When evil people are not punished right away, it makes others WANT to do evil, too. Though a sinner might do a hundred evil things and might live a long time, I know IT WILL BE better for those who honor God” (Ecc 8:11-12) Sanctification can feel like speeding down a highway blindfolded, crashing into things I never saw coming. But I’m far better-off blindfolded and trusting in Jesus than I am driving on my own.

“You yourself are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, carefully not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other message – just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message.” (Colossians 1:21-23, The Message)