The First Month of My New Life
"God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life."
Pretty familiar statement, right? And I do agree with it, at least to an extent. What do I mean by "to an extent"? Well, what would you say if I told you that God's version of wonderful involves suffering, persecution, and rejection? What would you say if I told you that we are called to that kind of a wonderful life, because that's the kind of life His Son had? Would you accept it?
Now hold on one moment, please - don't stop reading just because my first post started with a bang. Be patient with me. I do want to explain some things to you with my own life experience and with Scripture, because I truly believe that this is something everyone needs to know.
On Thursday we had hot lunch for the third time this school year, wherein we showed the high school kids who came to our church for a $2 chili lunch a short Francis Chan video. After the video I explained that the cost of following Jesus can - to an extent - be understood by the comparison of the cost of joining a sports team with a hardcore coach. Your coach will push you and make you do things that are uncomfortable. They will make you work hard, and it will hurt physically and mentally, even emotionally. But just like training and practicing with a team under a hardcore coach is worth it because you will get somewhere as a team and as a player, the cost of following Jesus is so worth it because you will get somewhere. Without Him you will get nowhere.
This is the hard truth I had to learn in coming to Grimshaw. In order to get here, I had to die to my flesh, because my flesh battled with my spirit over coming here. My spirit knew this was where Christ wanted me, but my flesh wanted to run away. But now I'm here, and God is doing such a marvelous work! Had I not come here, I would not be learning what I am. I would not be in the center of His will. I would not be following His wonderful plan for my life.
In saying this, I do not want you to think that just because God is "doing such a marvelous work" that it is easy. On the contrary, I continue to battle against the spiritual powers in this dark world. When you step up to fight against the devil, he retaliates. That's not to say that he's got much going for him, though - he's already lost the war! And if I ever come face to face with him, I want to be in such a strong place of faith in Christ to be able to say as Smith Wigglesworth did, "Oh, it's just you." And by the power of Christ's Spirit in me, I will.
One of our homework assignments was to summarize and reflect on Romans 8, and I can honestly say that doing that assignment has changed my life. By studying that chapter I finally realized that we are not small little saints working away for God in the flesh, but rather triumphant sons and daughter of the King living by the Spirit of our God! So may that encourage you as greatly as it has me. As verse 37 says, "Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us." Amen!!
So that covers a portion of what I've been learning. What have I been doing? Well we have class Thursdays till 11am and Fridays till 4pm. I'm involved in teaching Sunday school, leading the Grimshaw youth group, Friday youth activities, hot lunch on Thursdays, College and Career (attending), and I'm working on getting involved with a few other things like teaching free piano lessons and helping with LCD on Sundays (powerpoint). Who I'm hanging out with is pretty much a bunch of psychotic, awesome-face people who I'm excited to learn with, grow with, and serve with here in the town of Grim. God has blessed me so abundantly with amazing people who will spur me on in the faith, and I praise Him for them! Also God has blessed me with a job at Shoppers Drug Mart. My bosses are so great, so I praise Him for them so much!!
So in closing I'd like to ask for prayer, that I would be open to the Spirit's guidance in every aspect of my life and that God would bring many souls to Him through this internship. It's all for His glory, amen?! Amen. :)
Thank-you for reading. My prayer is that you're encouraged, and that what God is teaching me with also benefit you as my brothers and sisters in Him.
In the victory of Christ over the cross,
Cayla Renae Schlamp
Pretty familiar statement, right? And I do agree with it, at least to an extent. What do I mean by "to an extent"? Well, what would you say if I told you that God's version of wonderful involves suffering, persecution, and rejection? What would you say if I told you that we are called to that kind of a wonderful life, because that's the kind of life His Son had? Would you accept it?
Now hold on one moment, please - don't stop reading just because my first post started with a bang. Be patient with me. I do want to explain some things to you with my own life experience and with Scripture, because I truly believe that this is something everyone needs to know.
On Thursday we had hot lunch for the third time this school year, wherein we showed the high school kids who came to our church for a $2 chili lunch a short Francis Chan video. After the video I explained that the cost of following Jesus can - to an extent - be understood by the comparison of the cost of joining a sports team with a hardcore coach. Your coach will push you and make you do things that are uncomfortable. They will make you work hard, and it will hurt physically and mentally, even emotionally. But just like training and practicing with a team under a hardcore coach is worth it because you will get somewhere as a team and as a player, the cost of following Jesus is so worth it because you will get somewhere. Without Him you will get nowhere.
This is the hard truth I had to learn in coming to Grimshaw. In order to get here, I had to die to my flesh, because my flesh battled with my spirit over coming here. My spirit knew this was where Christ wanted me, but my flesh wanted to run away. But now I'm here, and God is doing such a marvelous work! Had I not come here, I would not be learning what I am. I would not be in the center of His will. I would not be following His wonderful plan for my life.
In saying this, I do not want you to think that just because God is "doing such a marvelous work" that it is easy. On the contrary, I continue to battle against the spiritual powers in this dark world. When you step up to fight against the devil, he retaliates. That's not to say that he's got much going for him, though - he's already lost the war! And if I ever come face to face with him, I want to be in such a strong place of faith in Christ to be able to say as Smith Wigglesworth did, "Oh, it's just you." And by the power of Christ's Spirit in me, I will.
One of our homework assignments was to summarize and reflect on Romans 8, and I can honestly say that doing that assignment has changed my life. By studying that chapter I finally realized that we are not small little saints working away for God in the flesh, but rather triumphant sons and daughter of the King living by the Spirit of our God! So may that encourage you as greatly as it has me. As verse 37 says, "Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us." Amen!!
So that covers a portion of what I've been learning. What have I been doing? Well we have class Thursdays till 11am and Fridays till 4pm. I'm involved in teaching Sunday school, leading the Grimshaw youth group, Friday youth activities, hot lunch on Thursdays, College and Career (attending), and I'm working on getting involved with a few other things like teaching free piano lessons and helping with LCD on Sundays (powerpoint). Who I'm hanging out with is pretty much a bunch of psychotic, awesome-face people who I'm excited to learn with, grow with, and serve with here in the town of Grim. God has blessed me so abundantly with amazing people who will spur me on in the faith, and I praise Him for them! Also God has blessed me with a job at Shoppers Drug Mart. My bosses are so great, so I praise Him for them so much!!
So in closing I'd like to ask for prayer, that I would be open to the Spirit's guidance in every aspect of my life and that God would bring many souls to Him through this internship. It's all for His glory, amen?! Amen. :)
Thank-you for reading. My prayer is that you're encouraged, and that what God is teaching me with also benefit you as my brothers and sisters in Him.
In the victory of Christ over the cross,
Cayla Renae Schlamp
Thank you for a great word and for being real! Many blessings in your new journey with Christ our Lord. Amen
ReplyDeletenice to hear about what you do, keep up the good work, some1 some where will need it
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