come

I was reading John the other night and I came across a single word that stuck out so boldly that it caused me to stop and think and fall in love with Jesus all over again.

Starting in chapter 1, verse 35, the story about Jesus calling the first disciples to follow Him is told. Actually, two guys started walking behind Him and when Jesus saw them, He asked, "What do you want?" (v. 37-38) and they asked Him where He was staying. 

Verse 39 is, I believe, monumental in the disciples' lives and in anyone who chooses to surrender themselves to Christ.

Verse 39 is Jesus's response to their question of where He was going.

"'Come,' He replied, 'and you will see.'"

Jesus invites His disciples from conversation one to engage in this incredible adventure. He doesn't tell them much about what's to happen in the future, He just says, come and see.

In verse 43, we hear Jesus telling another disciple, Phillip, to "Follow me."

Phillip must have caught the "Jesus bug" right then and there because he went and found his friend, Nathaneal, and told him all about Jesus. Nathaneal asked Phillip if anything good could really come from all of this and so simply, in verse 46, Phillip tells his friend, "Come and see." So, of course, Nathaneal came. From the very beginning Jesus's invitation was exhilarating and His love was contagious.

After reading this, I looked up other passages in the gospels where Jesus said the word "come," and surprisingly enough, there are quite a few.

In Matthew 11:28, He tells all of the weary and burdened, all of the people seeking rest, to "Come to me."

In Matthew 14:29, He tells Peter to "Come" and walk on the water.

In Matthew 19:14 and Luke 18:16, He says to let the little children come to Him.

In Luke 19:5, He tells Zaccheaeus to climb down his sycamore tree and come with Him.

And one of my personal favorites:

After the resurrection, Jesus appears to some of His disciples who are fishing on a boat (the writer in me loves that He ends where He started) and after helping them catch tons and tons of fish, in John 21:12, He invites His friends to, "Come and have breakfast." Jesus delighted in spending time with people and loving on them even in the simpliest occasions such as having a meal.

Not even ten minutes before I started this post, I finished reading a book by a guy named Bob Goff. I've heard amazing things about "Love Does," for well over a year now but just hadn't gotten around to reading it. Now that I've read it, I'm thankful I didn't read it until this point in my life because I'm not sure that it would have affected me as greatly had I read it any earlier.

Basically the whole book is Bob sharing stories from his life and then relating them to our relationship with Jesus. The theme of his book is two simple words: Love does. He mentions more than once that when "love does," love does big.

To me, that's  what Jesus was, and is, all about. God loves His creation so much that number 1, He makes us in HIS image, and number 2, He invites us to engage in His love and come on His adventure. You see, Jesus doesn't just love people. He loves people BIG and He invites us to come and do the same.

One of the things we got to do at the Young Life camp in Nicaragua was walk through a labyrinth they built/planted on their property. The fact that it was dark and the leaders didn't tell us what we were doing made it all the more special and intimate. They said to come, so we grabbed a jacket and a flashlight and went. Once we walked to the opening of the labyrinth, a super sweet lady told us that this was the only labyrinth in Central America and they used it as a time of reflection for the campers. Before entering, we were given a Bible verse typed up on a piece of paper and told to read it at the end of the path. We also had our flashlights so as we began our walk one by one, we could see through the bushes that the labyrinth was getting brighter. At the end of the path was a cross and we found the interns playing music and worshipping. As you looked up into the sky it seemed like the stars had all come to the Nicaraguan sky to show off for us that night (and that's saying a lot being from west Texas). 

The next afternoon, I went back up the labyrinth alone, mainly to take pictures, but also just to spend some time alone with God.

As I was walking back to the cabins afterwords, I was overwhelmed by our God and His never-ending faithfulness. It's like Jesus whispered the greatest invitation into my ear, "You can be a part of ALL of my faithfulness ALL of the time. Come." How awesome is it to serve a God and better yet, be loved by a God who we can always depend on and never exaggerate.

There is a song called "The Cost" by Rend Collective. One part of the song says "I've counted up the cost. Oh, I've counted up the cost. Yes, I've counted up the cost, and You are worth it. Jesus, take my all. Take my everything. I've counted up the cost, and You're worth everything."

I counted up the cost on that walk back down to the cabin and God's faithfulness was enough evidence that this life He invites us to live, this life of love and adventure- no matter how heart-wrenching it can be at times, is so. worth. it. I told Jesus that I was His. Whatever He said to do, I'll do. Anything.

Wherever He said to go, I'll go. Anywhere.

Whenever He said to be, I'll be. Anytime.

Whatever, wherever, whenever.

Anything.

I think those words are something a lot of us say and talk about with fellow believers often, but saying them aloud in the middle of a dirt road at a camp that is dedicated to sharing God's love with the youth of a nation made it real and permanent for me. I don't just want to talk about following Jesus, I want to come with Him and do. 

This whole wholeheartedly-following-Jesus thing is kind of new to me and I've already messed up a bunch, but falling down and getting picked back up by the Creator of the world is something I'm learning to be okay with. As I told an incredible friend of mine a couple weeks ago in a parking spot at Sonic, I'm dead serious about this "following Jesus" thing and I'm dead serious about this "loving His people" thing.

I'm not sure what all of this means for my life and my future, but I do know whatever Jesus has in mind for me is way more exciting and thrilling than something my little brain could cook up. Jesus said "Come," and you better believe I'm coming.

tranquilo como camilo

   As we sat and ate dinner the first night in Nicaragua, Ann and Danny Sharpe (in charge of the La Finca Vida Joven/Young Life camp) were beginning to introduce us to the country and told us what our week would consist of. While conversing with Danny and some other team members, he simply and genuinely warned me, "Be careful. You might fall in love." I shrugged off his warning and carried on to the next topic.
   I'd had a hard time trusting that God actually even wanted me in Nicaragua in the first place. My grandparents had invited me to go on this mission trip with their church, FBC Cloudcroft, NM, and I had been excited for months, but I was also very skeptic of the week to come. I was the youngest person on the trip by several years and so afraid of being miserable the whole time. Boy, was I wrong. God never ceases to amaze me by how He brings our most joyful times out of what seemed to originally be the most uncomfortable situations.
   Maybe I should have been more careful and reserved, but I feel deep in love; a little bit more each day I was in Nicaragua.
   When I went to Spain last summer, my dear friend Kimberly wrote me a letter to read on the flight over and in that letter she said "Jump in with all you have! Don't be afraid to love the people there. It is so hard to leave, but it is completely worth it!" I found that piece of wisdom especially true about my new Nicaraguan (Nicas) friends.
   Throughout my week in Nicaragua, I fell in love. I fell in love with the green landscape. I fell in love with the food. I fell in love with the culture. But more than any of that, I fell in love with the people we were so fortunate to meet and serve our gracious God with.
   One of my favorite parts of the week was all of the conversations we were able to have. Whether those conversations be spoken in broken bits of English and Spanish or patiently translated through the camp interns, they were all such a blessing. Colossians 4:5-6 says, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." This verse in such a sweet example of every word shared amongst the NM work team and the Nicas. Being able to freely and openly share what Jesus has done in each of our own lives was such an encouraging thing to be a part of.
   Conversation consumed a large amount of time at our first work site. The first project a few of us worked on was helping some men dig out dirt where a water tank that will provide three days worth of water for the Vida Joven camp is being built. (The location of this tank is next to two other already operating water tanks.) One conversation that stuck out to me was when Jason (a 21-year-old Nica Young Life leader from León) asked Allison (a camp intern) and I what our most intimate experiences with God were. Jason shared that one of his was probably when he had his "20 minutes" at his first camp. Allison then explained to me that on the night the campers are told about Jesus and what He did for us on the Cross, they are told to go outside and spend twenty minutes alone with God. Those twenty minutes are when many kids give their life to Christ and each person remembers exactly where they were during that time. Allison then told us that one of the leaders she had met said his 20 minutes was spent on top of the first water tank that was built. She then shared her excitement in our work, because not only will the new tank provide good water for Vida Joven campers, but students are going to go up there and ultimately start a personal relationship with Jesus.
   Having that knowledge made everything we did throughout the week- from digging loads and loads of dirt to cutting down and hauling off banana trees- sacred and beyond worth it. What a blessing it was to work around the camp knowing that God would use everything we did to have an impact on campers and the future of Nicaragua as a whole.
   The greatest blessing though, was the friendships made with the Nicaraguan Christians we got to learn from and work with. Driving back to the hotel in Managua and the end of the week, I was reminded of Danny's warning. I became very aware of just how much this country and the people I encountered, had won my heart over and saying goodbye pretty much tore me into strips and pieces.
   All of that to say, Jesus is incredible. The way He loves His children knows no bounds or country borders or language barriers. His faithfulness and love are never ending and super contagious. My prayer is that we all open wide our hearts and throw away any fear of getting "dirty" or hurt and jump in with all we have because, oh my goodness, Jesus is so worth it.

"All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth." -Colossians 1:6

 I wish I could tell you more about one of the best weeks of my life, but I'll spare you unless you ask! I will, however, tell you a few other little things. The title of this post "tranquilo como camilo" is a phrase one of the workers taught me. It was translated as "chill like a chameleon" and I thought that was the coolest thing ever! I've since found out that camilo does not mean chameleon, but who cares! haha Also, the Young Life camp I worked at is attempting to become self-sustainable. So if you like good coffee (and by good, I mean even I, a non-coffee drinker, like it) and you'd like to help send a Nicaraguan teenager to camp you can visit www.beyondbeanscoffee.com One bag of coffee sends a kid to camp for a day!

with lots of gratitude and love,
Sarah

seasons

This past year of my life has been one for the books and probably the best one yet and while that sounds so cliche because favoring the most recent year is usually a norm, it is the truth.

I got back from a mission trip to Washington D.C. a few days ago and had some time to reminisce on the week and on my junior year of high school as a whole. Looking back, I am so in awe of God's faithfulness and hand in each aspect of my life and those around me.

It started on a mission trip I took last July to Madrid, Spain. I remember staying awake later than the girls I was rooming with on one particular night and in pitch black with my face smashed to the pillow, far past being on the verge of tears, asking God to test my faith. I also clearly remember begging God to not let me struggle with doubt because, honestly, I didn't know if I was strong enough to handle it. Oh, silly little heart of mine.

God answered that request with a gentle "no," and doubt came knocking. To be clear, I never questioned God's existence or sovereignty, I just had spouts of doubting God's promises and if I could actually trust Him. The first semester of this past year was very good for so many of my friendships, but at the time, seemed quite terrible for my relationship with the Creator of the Universe. During this time though, I really learned so much about what faith truly is that I wouldn't have learned otherwise.

One passage of scipture that brought me to tears almost every time I read it throughout those months was Matthew 14:22-32: Jesus Walks On Water. The part that always got to me was Jesus's response after Peter asked to come out on the water.

(vs 29) "'Come,' He said."

I asked for my faith to be challenged and Jesus simply said, "Come."

Once Peter is out on the water he is doing fine until he sees the wind.

Until I face the doubt.

Peter then cries out asking the Lord to save him.

(vs 31) "Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him, 'Oh, you of little faith,' He said, 'why did you doubt?'"

That verse stings. Why did I doubt that my Savior would choose now to become unfaithful when all He has ever been is loving, merciful, and gracious to me? Oh, silly little heart of mine.

The greatest part of the story, however, is that it doesn't end in verse 31. In verse 32 we see that after Peter doubted, he was able to worship Jesus and declared, "'Truly You are the Son of God.'"

I am so thankful that our lives don't end in verse 31. After my little spouts of doubt, I have become more trusting and able to worship and wholeheartedly believe in God. Towards the end of my personal season of doubt, and new season began to occur.

I continued to grow and was allowed to relish in God's grace and begin to grasp how undeserving we are, but at the same time, how much God desires for us to accept His glorious gift. I went through a large majority of the second semester learning more about what grace truly is and while I cannot ever fully grasp the concept of grace, I know so much more now that I once did.

"But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His graces, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast."
-Ephesians 2:4-9

This season of increasing knowledge of, and gratitude for, grace continued throughout the majority of the second semester, but towards the end of the school year and beginning of summer, through His grace, I started to experience peace and then an overwhelming joy along side that peace.

I've experience glimpses of peace and joy but never as incredibly and as strong as I have in the past few weeks and months. This joy that I recognize to only come from the Lord continued throughout the week I spent with my Seminole youth group in D.C. One night, before I went to sleep, I found myself flipping through my Bible's index looking for verses that mentioned joy. The 55th chapter of Isaiah was amongst those verses. (The first part of the chapter is pretty popular, so if have a second go refresh your memory on it.)

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."
-Isaiah 55:12

I asked a friend of mine to read the chapter to see what she thought, and it was so sweet of her to point out that verse 12 doesn't say "you might go out in joy" or "you can go out in joy," but "you will." What a beautiful image!

This joy that has absolutely consumed me is so uncorrelated with the world and all of the heartbreak that comes from this earth and even all of the happiness that is only temporary. The joy that has consumed my soul over this past season of my life is evidently that of the Lord and the mere thought that our God cherishes His creation so much that He would gladly share His jubilance with us is more than enough to take my breath away. It gives me such a peace to know that nothing can shake this joy from my heart because it comes from an eternal source who abounds in joy and love and grace and faithfulness and showers us with these gifts every moment and then some.

This past year is not at all what I would have excepted or planned for myself, but in hindsight, it has been so much better than anything my little mind could have dreamed up. God is faithful. His grace is so sweet. His joy is eternal. And throughout every season of my life- no matter how exhilarating or heart-wrenching, I will choose to follow the King who created me and knows everything.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens...
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live."
-Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 11-12

more than my words will ever say

Today in worship, our music minister shared this little jewel of a poem with us:

If there are words for Him. then I don't have them.
You see, my brain has not yet reached a thought
that could adequately describe the greatness of my God.
And my lungs have not yet developed the ability
to release a breath that could breathe of the greatness of His love.
My voice is so inhibited, restrained by human limits,
it is hard to even sing sufficient praises of Him.
You see, if there are words for Him, then I don't have them.

My God, His grace is remarkable;
His mercies are innumerable;
His strength is impenetrable.
He is audible, accountable, favorable;
He is unsearchable yet knowable;
Indefinable yet approachable;
Indescribable yet personal.
He is beyond comprehension; further than imagination;
constant through generations, King of every nation.
But if there are words for Him, then I don't have them.

You see, my words are few, and to try to capture
the one true God using my vocabulary would never do.
But I use words as an expression,
an expression of worship to a Savior:
A Savior who is both worthy and deserving of my praise,
so I use words.
My heart extols the Lord, blesses His name forever.
He has won my heart,
captured my mind and has bound the bolt together.
He has defeated me in my rebellion,
conquered me in my sin,
He has welcomed me into His presence,
completed abided me in;
Flooding me with mercies in the morning;
Drowning me with grace in the night.
If there are words for Him, then I don't have them.

But what I do have is Good News!
For my God knew that man-made words would never do;
For words are just tools we use to point to the Truth.
So He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as the Word, living proof.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the first-born of all creation;
for by Him all things were created,
giving nothingness formation;
and by His Word, He sustains in the power of His name.
He is before all things, and over all things, He reigns.
Holy is His name, so praise Him for His life,
the way he persevered His strife;
the humble Son of God becoming the perfect sacrifice.

So praise Him for His death;
that He willingly stood in our place;
that He lovingly adored the grave;
that He battle our enemy,
and on the third day, rose in victory.
He is everything that was promised;
praise Him as the risen King;
lift your voice and sing,
for one day He will return for us,
and we will finally be united with our Savior for eternity.

It's not just words that I proclaim,
for my words point at the Word,
and the Word has a name.
Hope has a name.
Joy has a name.
Peace has a name.
Love has a name.
And that name is Jesus Christ-
praise His name,
Forever.

-poem can be heard in Kari Jobe's music video for her song, Forever.

1AM, words, and Jesus

I've had messy jumbles of thoughts that I have begun to type up then stopped because I didn't know what direction my words should go in next.

It's hard for me to say that I love to write and that writing comes naturally to me whenever I sit with my thumbs fiddling over my phone lost for words, not able to finish even a mere paragraph of what God has been teaching me. On this early morning, however, I think I've found words worth sharing. Or at the very least, I have some sort of a processed thought that, for my sake, needs typed up.

I read a post a while back on Tumblr and the phrase

"love is deliberate,"

stuck out to me.

{deliberate: done consciously and intentionally}

Love is deliberate.

A deliberate love, a love shown and felt so consciously and intentionally, is something the human heart craves. 

The only being my mind can attach to a love so deliberate is Jesus. 

Jesus deliberately came to live a life on earth amongst sinners who at times were starstruck with Him and at others, shouted hate towards Him at the top of their lungs and nailed Him to a tree. Jesus deliberately took on all of my sins so that I would be able to willingly choose to follow Him and love Him.

Jesus offers a love so deliberate that He not only allows, but welcomes vulnerability.

Vulnerability is something that has been tossed around in my mind a few times these past few months as well.

At youth one Sunday night back in February, the question, "What does Christianity enable us to do?" was asked. A sweet friend of mine answered, 

"Christianity enables us to be vulnerable."

{vulnerable: capable of being physically or emotionally wounded}

I think one of the thinks that makes the Christian faith stick out amongst others is grace, and while grace does unfortunately tend to get covered up with deeds in many modern churches, it is one of the most incredible parts of surrendering every part of your life into the scarred hands of Jesus.

Accepting grace goes against our very nature though. We, as humans, feel we have to pay our own debts and forget that good work over faith is not the way of our Savior. We get so caught up in trying to right our own wrongs that we often forget we serve a God who forgives, and abundantly so at that. Accepting grace is vulnerable and is only possible through the never ceasing, deliberate love of Jesus.

Jesus deliberately and fully loves me so much that He offers grace to even the least of these and openly welcomes vulnerability in His Kingdom. 

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus." -Ephesians 2:4-7

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." -Ephesians 3:17-19

count yourselves blessed.

Matthew 5:1-12, The Message