Orchestras & Symphonies

If I had to highlight one thing from this past week, it would without a doubt be community. This is a beautiful place. But it is a strange place. With peculiar people. At  least I think that's how it would seem outside looking in. Being inside and breathing out though, I would say they are no different than the 84 other students that arrived here last Thursday for the AWAKEN DTS. We are all hungry. They are just further along.

Hunger for the things of God. Hunger to know him more. Hunger to give up our lives for him (whatever that looks like for each of us). It is evident that we are all united in that or else we would not be here. I definitely would not. We all know that there is something inside us that is in desperate need of him. And we're going for it. This group of 17-20somethings from all over the U.S., some from Germany, Denmark, Brazil, and New Zealand among other places. From all walks of life. From YWAM kids born into missionary families to  people who chose to live for Jesus only two months ago. None of us perfect, but acting out of some stage of 'sweet brokenness.'

There is absolutely no way that I can describe my time here, this experience, this opportunity to run after God  . . .without introducing you to the students and staff who are running with me. All relying on God's provision and the support of others as we seek to increase our faith and found our feet on the rock that is Christ. Tonight, I must offer up our fearless leader Mr. Matt Scaparotti. Or at least a few of his words and musings about "orchestras and symphonies" from Monday's class. It has been impressed upon me the last couple days that God really did choose us (choose me) for this time. He knew that 1988 was the year I needed to be born to encounter all the people and situations that would shape my life to get me to this point. The same is true for my roommates and my fellow students and the staff too. He knew he wanted us to be here together. And it is important to understand that it would matter if even just one of us was missing. If one of us gave up or the support didn't make it through or someone decided it was too hard and left. It would matter.

An orchestra is a group of performers playing various instruments. A symphony is an elaborate composition, a harmony of sounds. Now, the composer chose every sound, wrote out each intricacy, played it out in his mind. From the flute to cello to the oboe and violin. And more! Anywhere from 40-100 instruments! That is a vision of the body of Christ. Of AWAKEN 2012. "For the song to be played, we all need to play are part," Matt said. What God has placed in each of us is needed for the whole. Are we are willing to step into that? I think so. But we need God to show us who we are even more fully to recognize and play our instruments well. With confidence. With full assurance. With 100 percent trust in him. 

So yeah, we're hungry. We're here to encounter God. To learn how to display the specific parts of his image that reside in us. To bring them forth and walk them out. This is the community I have been sent to. To run with in this season. This is my heart. To tell their stories. To tell our stories, to play my part. To fulfill this sweet song of glory. Together.