Semester Recap: What God has been teaching me
Hey everyone!!!! This is my first post in a loooong time. That’s for a combination of reasons. Obviously being in school is busy so by the time I’ve done all my homework and focus on other commitments, it’s hard to find the time/motivation to write. But to be so honest with you guys, another thing that’s kept me from being active with these blogs has been a lot of spiritual warfare. I’m always wrestling with pushback as I’ve attempted to start writing about a few topics and sometimes it’s hard for me to discern whether those thoughts are valid, or just the enemy trying to discourage me from putting up content that glorifies the Lord. BUT I’m finally here and definitely feel the push from God to write about some of the things he’s been teaching me this semester and the ways he’s been at work!
Growth in the Uncomfortable
This has been the biggest thing I’m learning this semester. And before I get into the weeds about it, I wanna preface with the fact that God literally told me before the semester even started that this would be a big lesson for me and I completely forgot until I looked back at my journal recently. He said…
“I have put you in this season to grow. I told you last year that I was going to grow you at Samford. You have to be uncomfortable to truly grow, and it forces you to rely on me for your comfort. Remember that trials produce perseverance and perseverance, hope. I am near to you in this season and I give you the ability to walk in confidence.”
That was on August 20th right before I started classes. I heard it and moved on and it wasn’t until months later that I started to recognize this theme. Any time people asked me what God was teaching me I’d say “He’s teaching me that I grow the most when I’m uncomfortable.” I completely forgot about that entry until I flipped back through my journal and saw it about two weeks ago. So cool the way God spoke so personally over the semester and it’s total confirmation that He is truly growing me in this area.
There are a few ways I’ve seen this theme play out. Mostly, it’s been relevant as I work to build deep community at my church. My whole life I’ve grown up in the same church community and was known by everyone and their mother. I could fully be myself and I was the one doing the welcoming when others were new. Now that I’m in Alabama, I’m the newer person who isn’t as comfortable and it’s super weird for me. I’m realizing just how uncomfy it can be joining a small group where you barely know anyone, or serve on a new team where you feel like the outsider. I just started serving with youth at ACC which has been on my heart for a while. I’ve loved serving at my youth group at home and I absolutely love middle and high school students, they’re so much fun! So I signed up to do it, had my little interview-type conversation, and started about a month ago. I’ve loved it so far, but I’ve also been nervous stepping into this new community. I did it completely alone and I barely knew anyone at first and even now am still trying to get to know people better. Even though everyone was super nice, I was so intimated when I first walked in and the students already seemed to have incredible bonds with the current leaders. Where would I even fit in? It was so hard to have confidence in my role of serving when I barely had the confidence to even stand in the room with everyone. But the Lord has reminded me that he calls me into uncomfortable situations because it means I have room to grow. I will get to see his provision over time, how he will strengthen my relationships with this community, and hopefully use me to impact students for his kingdom. This past week specifically, ACC Bham youth drove down to Auburn to join them for their monthly “wake gathering.” All the students in all the grades come together and there are games and skits and worship it’s a great time. It was Christmas-themed this month of course, so Bham wanted to join all the fun in Auburn. I knew this was going to be great, but I was terrified at the thought of driving 4 hours round-trip to Auburn and back with people I barely knew to go to a church where I also barely knew anyone. As much as I hate to admit it, I was so close to telling the group I couldn’t make it because I was so scared of being uncomfortable. But I didn’t have peace about that at all. I knew the Lord was calling me to say yes, especially considering all he had been teaching me about growth. So I said yes and I am so glad I did. I got to know some of the leaders better, and really got to connect with two of the students. I know it will take more time for me to feel truly comfortable, but I’m learning to trust God every step and fully rely on him in the moments I’m nervous and uncomfortable.
Community takes commitment
This lesson is building off the first. Like I mentioned, I’ve been looking to build community at Church. But with any kind of relationship, it takes time to form. A lot of times we’re quick to walk away if the relationships aren’t instantly comfortable and easy. But that’s not realistic. I just finished Find Your People by Jennie Allen (which I highly recommend btw) and she talks about how you need to literally log a certain amount of hours with people to truly feel close to them. I think she said a study concluded the amount was 50 hours for just an acquaintance and over 200 for a close friendship. So it may start a little uncomfy at first. But that will change if you stay committed to showing up and investing time in people. Which pretty much goes hand in hand with #1. That’s why even though serving with youth is pushing me to be around all new people, I am so excited to build relationships with such an amazing group of people. And I know I will only get more comfortable with them the more I show up. I’ve also been intentional about being committed to going to my community group. I’ve met some great girls through it, and my leaders are the best and have already been able to pour into me so much. I’m excited to grow even closer to everyone as I continue going next semester. It’s fun because now that I’ve taken time to show up to ACC events and invest in community, I feel more known at Church on Sunday morning, and know I have people to pray for me and be there for me when I need it.
Some of the gals in my sweet community group!!!
3. Free to pray free to praise
This was the title of one of my favorite ACC sermons this semester! One of the other things I’ve been struggling with this lately has been feeling connected to God in prayer and worship (which has been a huge bummer cuz those are usually the ways I connect most with Him). So when I heard this sermon that talked about exactly that, I was totally wrecked- crying like a baby in the middle of the service. Our pastor, Miles, preached on Acts 16- the story of God setting Paul and Silas free from prison. Now I’m not gonna recap the whole sermon (but I’ll link it at the bottom so you can listen!!), but the main points really changed the way I’d been viewing prayer and worship. Acts 16:25 says that while Paul and Silas were in prison awaiting their fate they were, “praying and singing hymns to God.” After this, the prison doors flew open. Miles said that it wasn’t their prayers and praise that got them free. They were already totally free in Christ. Their prayers and praise were declaring the freedom they ALREADY had. And this allowed for the freedom to be manifested in real time (hence the prison doors bursting open). I was believing the lie that I had to pray and worship to gain something from God. That I needed to do it to be free of a circumstance. This attatched burden to these areas in my life and made me not want to communicate with God at all because it just felt exhausting. But this passage flipped that view on its head.
“Prayer and praise are not pathways into freedom in Christ. They are declarations of freedom in Christ. They activate what is already true about God and makes it tangible in your life.”
Sermon Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4-q19eeHls !!!
These are just a few things I’ve felt have been really prevelant themes for me this semester. I feel like this focused on mostly my semester struggles (which is no coincidence cuz that’s where God meets us most clearly and gets the most glory) but it was also such a semester full of blessing! I have such sweet community at Samford, my classes went very well, I love my major, and I’ve overall just been having a great time in Bham!! Praying for another semester of both growth and joy and HOPEFULLY more intentionality in writing more of these!!! Love y’all lots!!!
