Awesomeness from Tonight

I think this is the only time (that I can remember) that I have left a large-ish gathering of people feeling energized and refreshed. The trademark of an introvert is that they gain energy from being alone or being in pairs, so it’s weird to enjoy people so much.

But I did and do.

Some awesome things that happened tonight:

• I met my mom halfway between college and home so she could give me some schoolwork and shoes I forgot when I moved back into my dorm. We ate at Waffle House in the middle of a rather “sketchy” part of town, and I had an amazing conversation with my mom, more like friends than a parental role. Those sorts of things are happening more often, now that I’m almost twenty. (What? Almost twenty?)

• And on the way to meet my mom, I felt my car hydroplane a little bit on the very wet roads. I was afraid that the raining would get worse and that the highways would be even more wet, although I once I got to the interstate, it was mostly puddle-free and easy to drive. God is awesome. 

• As I was leaving Waffle House, I stopped to get gas (again, sketchy part of town) and I drove through more rain and some fog. And, of course, the college and its town I was going back to and the situations there that are difficult there came to mind. At the most perfect moment, Chris Tomlin’s “Our God” came on the radio. Wow. Our God is bigger and stronger than the storms of the weather and the storms of our lives. It was a great reminder.

• I drove back to my college town and met some friends at my pastor’s house. We played Rock Band, Catchphrase, and MadGabs and it was an awesome time of fellowship and friendship. We used to get together like that in the past, and I really appreciated the time to be together with my best friends and two beloved mentors. 

• When my fellow college kids and I drove back to campus to make curfew, I happened to be the first person in the succession of cars. It was weird, because I usually drive very slow, and I always feel scrutinized when people I know drive behind me. However, it was actually beneficial tonight. The headlights on my car are not the best, and I actually needed the headlights of the two cars behind me to help me see when I wasn't under streetlights or when I was driving through the fog. Even though the person behind me probably wanted to make fun of my bad driving habits, their presence actually helped me to drive safer, because I could see.

There was no deep spiritual or theological or psychological conversation tonight. It was fun and practical and worthwhile. It was being a daughter. It was being a friend. And I loved it.  I loved listening to the rain on my car windows and learning simple practical lessons about God’s provision and protection. I loved driving almost an hour and a half to meet my mom for dinner. I loved having nothing to do. I loved not being tied to a computer or a phone. I loved. And was loved.

Today, I’m thankful for the people God has placed in my life.

God's Passions

"Do you believe God gave you your gifts and talents? Do you believe God gave you a passion for those things you're passionate about? If so, who is hurt by you not using those gifts?"

I believe that God is passionate about the gifts he's given us. It's like God is saying "Here Alex, here's the gift of encouragement. Here's your musical abilities. Here's your heart for the outcast. Here's a desire to serve me." And then me saying "Okay, thanks God. That's nice and all, but I think I'd rather sit here in this pew." Or "Thanks for this passion, Lord, but other people do it better than me, so I'm just going to let them do it."

Uh, no. God gave you those gifts, those talents, those desires... He wants you to use them. And when you ask, he's going to give you opportunities to use them. Just be willing to go with it.

I believe with every piece of me that God put me where I am for a reason. Because I could never have done it on my own. Thus, he has me where he wants me. And he's doing something amazing with it. I can't let myself ever think that I'm not worth it, that God has given up on me. Because he hasn't. And even if it feels like I don't fit in, God's still here and he has a role for me to fill right here.

Are you doing what God's called you to do where he's placed you?