Ok, so first off, sorry I never completed the challenge thingy. But here's what I really wanted to say.
(I wouldn't read if you weren't Christian, cause it talks about a church funding and the community church youth and it's about God and other things)
Ok, so about two weeks ago, I went to a thing called D- Now. (Discipleship Now) it was my first year, being only a seventh grader. But the first night was one of the most famous stories about sin. Adam and Eve. Now, I've grown up in a church house. I was saved when I was eight, and rededicated this year. I knew this story. But that not the point. It's about sin. The preacher was talking about how he pictured the devil. He said he pictured this big, ugly dragon, demon, on fire, spitting fire kind of thing. But I think different. I think Satan is going to appear Dark and handsome. Kind voiced, telling you to sin. Or whatever will tempt you. Maybe the popular kids at school saying "come on. Smoking/ Dipping isn't that bad! Try it!" And you're hooked. The devil isn't a demon. He's everywhere.
And then there was one song. How He Loves, if you wanted to hear it. But the first verses reminded me of a memory.
He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane
I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy
Has anyone reading this ever been in a hurricane? (Yes Ana I know you have) but I remember Hurricane Isaac from 2012. (Deal with this mini story it has a point) Almost all the kids in my mom's family (at that time, 8 first cousins) were huddled in a basement, because it had gotten bad, and no one except my Nanny and Paw Paw (grandparents, as you probably guessed) had a basement. There was one bed. Me, my cousins (both 2 years older), my sister (3 years younger), piled on a twin size bed. (I was 8 at the time, so do the math.) (the two cousins were a boy and a girl) we didn't realize then, but the older kids didn't even think about getting on the bed. They told us to. I just though I'd put that in, but that's not the point. There were four of them, all piled on the floor, with no blankets or anything (we ran out) we sat down there, trying to make each other laugh, with flashlights (the lights were, of course out) (let me just say that one of the older ones died last November. I miss him a lot). They had all went to sleep at about 1:00 in the morning. I was still up, couldn't sleep. I was the one that could tell what was going one that had no experience with this. (well, my sister couldn't. They all could, but they had all went through other hurricanes and remembered that it gets better) and the boy cousin that was on the bed (his name is Zach) was, surprisingly up. I remember him tapping my shoulder and whispering my name.
"Mattie." He whispered. "Let's go upstairs."
"Nanny said we were supposed to stay down here."
"They won't find us if we go right out there." I knew what he was talking about. The Green House. The all glass room, that they hadn't finished. The one where you could see everything.
"Ok." I said. We went up, and sat in the room. You could see the pool, splashing everywhere, the grass waving (yes. You could see that) but what I paid attention to was the trees. Some fell to the ground, some acted like falling, but stayed about halfway, and some stood swaying.
That verse reminded me of those trees. God was the wind. The trees were the people. Some fell short of the glory, didn't worship him. Some were half way, acting bad, but showing up for church and saying they were good. They weren't doing what he wanted. They were Christians on Sunday and Wednesday. Church days. When everyone else is Christian. Then there were the strong ones. The ones fighting. Teaching others about the Lord. Standing with him when no one else did. And that's stuck with me.
Here's a few songs for you to listen to. Please.
•How Can It Be? by Lauren Daigle
•Lead Me to the Cross by Hillsong United
•Our God by Chris Tomlin
•This is Amazing Grace by Jeremy Riddle
•Holy is the Lord by Chris Tomlin
•Forever by Brian Johnson
•Good Good Father by Chris Tomlin
•Oceans by Hillsong United
•Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli
•How He Loves (the one talked about earlier) by David Crowder Band
Those are just my favorites. There are tons more. Later!
