Photographs & Memories

The Importance of Fellowship

As you can see by the fact that I have only done 4 entries in the online journal-I have struggled with consistency during this 30-day faith journey "Suprise Me God". Honestly, I found myself getting caught up in the same old distractions that work against me on a regular basis: work, school, temptations, frunstrations, LIFE. The only constant throughout all of this was the fact that I know God was with me the whole time. This 30-day journey served as a reminder that God has not forsaken me here in Abilene. I have not had a real church home to speak of, probably since high school when I went through my "greatest" time of growth and excitement in my walk with Jesus. I feel that I have found a home with the Gathering at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church. I have felt such a sense of peace and welcoming since the first moment that I checked out PBC and I know that this is an answer to prayer. If you look back at a previous blog called GOALS that one of my goals was to really try to give Abilene a chance to become home-and a big part of that process is finding a church home. It's amazing that this church feels like home especially considering that they are upfront with the fact that they are not a "seeker" church, that they are seeking new and exciting ways to challenge and grow in their faiths.
Another great thing for me is that I have found a group of folks that are close to my age and that I enjoy spending time with. My Jeep recently broke down and it was nothing for some of these people to serve and help me get to church to get the worship and fellowship time that I desperately need. I even got to go to a barbeque and lose at UNO (aka the game that never ENDS!).

The biggest surprise me aspect of today actually game in Sunday School. James was asking us to think about someone or something that had had a life-changing effect on us. Images of students and people that God has brought into my life, and I am so humbled that God has used a Dope like me to reach out to others, but I 'settled' on Nate Crawford. Shortly before I was 'asked to leave' my position as Hall Director at Indiana Wesleyan, Nate came up to me and shared that I was a big reason that he was still in school. Now, Nate was a guy with bleached-blond, spiked hair, earrings, and tattoos=he didn't really fit the prototype of "Conservative Middle America". Nate said to me, "I was ready to quit school. I didn't fit in here. There are rules here at this school against kids who look and act the way I do. I was ready to leave and follow a different path=find somewhere else that I fit in. Then, you asked me to be on Hall Council and you gave me a desk job. You, Jason, believed in me and helped me to find in myself something that I didn't even know was there. In a small way, you helped me with the confidence to become the man I am today". I don't know that I ever shared with Nate how much that meant, and still means, to me today. All I saw in Nate was potential. God gave me that insight and helped me to find a way to plug Nate in and find what was already there. I am humbled by the number of similar examples that I have in my life. I was again reminded how I need to get myself out of the way and let God work by the story of Peter in the water with Jesus. Peter, and we, are fine when we just worry about Jesus and do not let the things of the world distract us from following Him.

I am thankful to answers to prayers and the way that God continually "Surprises" us with little reminders that He is still right there with us.

posted by Feltzy @ 9:34 PM