Obedience...

Wow...World Changers was amazing. Until last week, I had never been on a World Changers project. I'd always heard about it and wanted to go or do something like it, but never had the opportunity. I think it's now one of my favorite things I've ever done---right up there with Pineywoods and Super Summer. :)

We arrived on Saturday afternoon after the grueling 20 minute ride across town to Fresno Pacific University, where we stayed all week. Saturday and Sunday were mostly filled with Orientation type of things along with meeting our Crews that we would be working in all week and going to the church on Sunday morning that would be feeding us lunch the rest of the week. We also visited our work site and met the homeowner, Mr. Kelley. From the beginning, I knew our crew would be great, but I never could have guessed just how much fun we would have or how awesome a crew we had until later in the week. We worked at our work site Monday-Friday, painting, gardening, and fixing other little things that needed to be fixed. I had so much fun working and getting dirty. I think that I was probably the dirtiest person on our crew almost every day. It was GREAT! :) It was hot, but not too hot. I think it might have gotten over 100 one day, but other than that, it was just in the mid/upper 90s (which is good for Fresno/Clovis during this time of the year). I really enjoyed getting to know everyone on our crew and see us all work together. Our Crew Chief, Charles (he was from Clovis Hills!!!) ,did such a great job and was so encouraging throughout the week! I couldn't have asked for a better crew! :) It was really sad on Friday night to have to say goodbye to all of them.

Even though I really enjoyed getting dirty and working hard all week, worship was probably my favorite time of each day. The theme for World Changers this summer is Obedience, Choose to Serve. Dave, my awesome Supervisor for the summer, was the Project Coordinator (basically in charge of all things World Changers on the Clovis end of things) as well as the Worship Pastor at night. Every night, God used him to speak directly to my heart and show me things about Himself that I needed reminding of or to be shown for the first time. It was absolutely incredible. God definitely taught me a lot about obedience, especially concerning obedience about my future. I came to California this summer with hopes that He would show me what the next step in life would be after I graduate from Baylor next May. While I've had "plans" for a while now that consist of going to grad school at Baylor, I'm just not really sure that's what God wants me to do anymore and I don't really feel at peace about that decision at all. I know that some would say that's because I'm in a new place and new people and I tend to doubt myself when I'm in situations like this, but I really think I've always felt uneasy about these plans and it's just now becoming real to me that this is going on. Anyway, back to World Changers. As Dave talked about obedience all week, I was reminded of a lot of things and retaught some others.
1) Serving God out of love and not obligation or fear is of the utmost importance. While I believe that I do serve God out of love, I know that those other two motivations for serving God creep back into my life sometimes when I get lazy with my relationship with God. God really challenged me to stay on top of things and always be motivated to serve Him out of love.
2) Serving God in everything I do is so crucial---even brushing my teeth!
3) While most people struggle with saying yes to big things that God asks them to do (be a missionary, go to Africa, etc), I find those things really easy to say yes to, it's the smaller things in life that I struggle with being obedient in. While I don't know why God isn't revealing my next steps in life to me yet, I have a feeling it's because He's teaching me to be obedient in the little things because He knows I don't have a problem with the big things.
4) God has given me passions and He wants me to use them for His Glory. He wants me to follow in His will and as I do, my desires will become like His. He loves me so much and He really does my best interests at his heart. I can see in my life where the passions He has given me have been used and are being used for His Glory. I can see too how when I am in good relationship with Him, my desires are very different than when I am not. I'm working on believing every single day, that He loves me so much that He wants only the best for me. I know that seems rediculous, but I guess there have been some things that have gone in my life over the last several months that have caused me to wonder about this truth. I'm working on every morning, waking up and claiming this to be true in my life. So far, so good. :)
5) I'm going to use this summer to practice walking in obedience to God. I don't have the distractions here that I normally would at school or home and so I think it's a good place to practice, so that when I do get back to my normal environments, I will already be good at it (hopefully).
6) I posted a song on Thursday afternoon that had really spoken to me throughout World Changers. I guess it really speaks for itself, but my prayer is that God would consume me from the inside out, that I would be changed from the inside out. I really like the 2nd verse: Your will above all else, My purpose remains, The art of losing myself, In bringing You praise. That's my heartbeat right now---that His will will be supreme in my life, above everything that I want and desire, that I will lose myself for His glory, to love Him and serve Him from the inside out. I know that as my desires and will become more like His, that my purpose is still the same---to know Him and make Him known. Oh how I love this song!! It is my heartbeat and I pray that I can sing the words honestly ever single day of my life---that I give Him control of my life. How fitting for a week about obedience!!! :)

Anyway, that's just a small portion of the things that God is teaching me right now. I hope that as the summer continues, that He will continue to teach me new things and continue to change me from the inside out.

A few prayer requests for this week:
-Priceless, our girls-only event that's happening next week for the Clovis Hills girls-that Kara and I will get everything together this week and not be stressed out about it all
-solid relationships with the girls here in Clovis built on trust and authenticity
-my relationship with my partner, Kara
-Me-vulnerability with those around me, that I wouldn't feel like I have to keep everything in, but that I can share what is going on in my heart and mind with those that God has placed around me this summer
-Deeper relationships with people---not just the fluffy stuff

Thanks y'all!!! :) Hope you all have a great week!

I'm lovin' it!
Kimberly