This year I’ve been fortunate to not only continue worshipping Jesus at my home church, First Christian Church on Staley Road in Champaign, but at other small groups and events with others from all walks of faith. One of my son goes faithfully do Wednesday night youth group at Vineyard in Urbana, IL, and I meet with two different small groups of women during the week. One group of women are all from FCC and it’s a fellowship and coffee kind of morning- just chatting and connecting with women to chat, laugh and uplift one another. I have completed a couple bible studies with another group of women, many of whom I did not know until I arrived the first week. Every single woman attends a different church and a variety of different religions are represented.
As I discussed in a previous post, looking back, my 2015 Word of the Year would have been Lost. This year my word is ENOUGH. Even with 100 cheerleaders in your life, if one person close to you in your life tears you down making you feel like you will never be enough it is an uphill road to changing your own perception of yourself. In interactions with friends, through educational opportunities with my business and in church settings I am reminded over and over that I am enough!
I share with you the opportunities I have had to interact with multiple churches and faiths in intimate ways because I’m finding it to be comforting and uncomfortable at the same time. When you get out of your ‘church routine’ you are stretched and challenged in ways you otherwise might not. You learn and appreciate how others show their love of God. You see the excitement through new eyes. You try new ways to worship, breaking you out of your comfort zone. I love God. I have all my life. I also feel like a kindergartner in many aspects of religion so even talking about faith on anything more than a topical level is difficult for me. I feel like I don’t know enough to share with others. I feel as if people will think I’m stupid when I try to talk about the bible. So small groups definitely makes me a bit uncomfortable, which turns out isn’t always a bad thing. And what is comforting is that no matter what faith, what church, what age, race, or sex that you are surrounded by others who love God and want to serve Him. You are reminded we are put on this Earth to do more, to be more and to share His love with others.
My middle son has been attending Vineyard on Wednesday nights with several buddies and we got to enjoy a special worship led by Jeremy Riddle (pictured below). While my son loved it, he was disappointed that it meant their small groups were unable to meet. Vineyard is not our home church but Vineyard is making a significant impact in adding fuel to his spiritual life. He would have rather skipped singing to meet with his small group. That made me proud. Proud of what the church is doing with young kids in our area and proud that John wants to be a part of it.
Last night we also got to listen to the guest speaker International Speaker Roger Cunningham from Chile share his story with Revolution youth group at Vineyard.
A story of how a small town (800 population) shy boy from Indiana, who had a speak impediment and didn’t like speaking in front of people, who went on a 10 day mission trip to Chile. This same small town boy has now lived in Chile the past 35 years preaching, baptizing, speaking world wide, and changing the lives of many as he shares his love for Jesus. Why was he chosen? Roger reminded us that God does not choose the extraordinary. He chooses the ordinary and makes them extraordinary.
Roger spoke about how he wrestled with that decision 35 years ago when he felt he was called to lead the people of Chile in their walk of faith. He provided God with lots of questions and excuses that basically boiled down to him not feeling capable of being a pastor, and overseas seemed even more crazy. He finally prayed, “OK, God if you think a small town boy from Indiana who has a speech impediment that just dedicated his life to you is the right person for the job then I will go.” And guess what, he went. He chose to say yes to God even though it was scary and he thought it was crazy. God told him ‘You are enough. You will do amazing things.’
How many times do we let fear hold us back? In relationships, in faith, in work? We often don’t do something cause we are afraid to fail. We don’t think we are good enough.
I struggle with believing I’m good enough. When I step out of my comfort zone, that is when I feel most alive and unstoppable. Whether it be trying something new in my business, jumping off a cliff in Mexico, encouraging a stranger when it seems like an ‘odd’ or uncomfortable time for me to do so, spreading sunshine to strangers, etc. While I KNOW in my heart I am good enough, some days my mind needs to be reminded of that. The reminders I have been receiving are necessary to keep me focused on His truth. I am enough. I am ordinary but will do extraordinary things with God’s help. All I have to do is say yes. The ones who say yes are His chosen ones.
My word this year has been ENOUGH but I’m thinking, maybe I’m gonna add a second word… YES!
~ Heather
Heather is the owner of Sweet Lemonade Photography and co-owner of Sweet Darling Weddings. Life gave her a bunch of lemons (you can read a little more here) and by keeping her focus on God, finding the positive in each day, and surrounding herself with supporting, loving and encouraging people she has turned those lemons into the sweetest lemonade. This blog has been created to share her heart, her adventures and find ways to bless others. You can contact her at heather@sweetlemonadelife.com.
