lessons.

I've only been back to school for just about a week and a half and it already feels like its been a huge semester. And will be. A semester of truth growth and change. Challenge.
Last semester I just got my feet wet, established in a new place. Seeds planted.
Now it's time to grow. To make roots. To produce fruit.
My Co-Floor Leader and I were given a pot to plant seeds in last week to prove this very point. Last semester we established friendships, and a basis, but now in Small Groups, it's time to go deep, and see the fruit of our labor.
Well tonight it was brought to my attention that a small bud had broken through the soil. For a person who does not a green-thumb what-so-ever I was thrilled. And as I sat in Small Group prayer with my fellow Floor Leaders, I just had this happy content feeling sweep over me realizing that God is indeed working in my hall, establishing friendships and extending roots. ...Not all of it we can see- sometimes we can only see a glimpse, but He sees the beautiful big, eternal picture.
With that small green sprout also came the encouragement of life and a something beautiful and new.

Similarly, this afternoon it snowed. SNOW. My MK heart was ecstatic as I had anticipated it all day, and walked through all the sleet and hail that prepared the way. But it fell the entire time I was in a meeting, and stopped before I got out. And as disheartening this fact is, I also can find a symbolic attachment to my current life.
I was in a meeting like none I've ever had. I had an experience I might never get to have again. An ex-pimp, who was saved my grace came to FREEU (an anti-human trafficking club on campus) to share his testimony. Much of my time and mind have been spent thinking about this horrific topic of sex/human trafficking/ modern slavery as last semester it was raised in my life often and this semester I'm actually moved to respond. Having watched "Sex + Money" the other day, I couldn't stand it any longer. It was time to move.
With this heartbreaking subject, paired with a heavy topic I was preparing for Small Groups about how media portrays women and in-turn society view/treat women my heart was pretty heavy. Reality is, our world is pretty broken. But as I was listening to this man share his stories, I thought about the snow covering the ground, laying a blanket of white on everything, and I felt this peace cover me like a blanket as well. My God is bigger than this, and as out of control as it is, nothing is beyond His capability. This feeling of Him just covering me with His pure, perfect self came over me. I really don't know how to describe it, but as the world was transformed outside, my heart was being transformed inside.
As this man shared his testimonial I was moved to tears by the power and true grace of God.
There still is beauty left in this world. There really, really is.
You make beautiful things out of dust...you make beautiful things out of us.  

I move through these days, just seeing God move and being aware of His presence in even just the little things. It is a very special time in life when you find yourself in the middle of it, and one I haven't had often...but I'm learning to just fully trust Him, be content and praise Him- for the good and the bad. To pray and just stand in awe of Him as He moves. Our God is an awesome God. Amen?