CAPS COMING OFF

I really cannot believe that I have only lived in Chicago for eight weeks, it feels so much longer.  I absolutely hate talking about how long we have been here because inevitably the fact that we only have two weeks left comes up.  Usually when someone starts talking about leaving soon, I will immediately change the subject.  Because in all honesty, the thought of leaving project hurts me to think about!  I know I still have two weeks to post a final blog, but really I do not have the best track record for posting blogs regularly, so I'm just going get a farewell point out there and hopefully write a final one before leaving.  I can only imagine what these last two weeks are going to back like.  The first two weeks were some of the best weeks, these last two are going to be a blast I am sure.


Even though since living in Chicago I have come to the conclusion that I have absolutely no interest to live in the city limits of any major city for longer than a year, I have come to love this city. I look at the people I work with and I have begun to love them and who the city has shaped them to be.  When on the UIC campus, I love to meet new college students and engage them and tell about the One who has given me the love that I have for them.  I keep going to our church Willow Chicago, and though it is a completely different church then I am used to or even completely comfortable with, I have begun to love the people there and the mission that they have to unite all the diverse people of Chicago in the Kingdom of God.


Like I just said,  when first attending Willow Chicago I did not care for it at all.  But, with much prayer and God slowly teaching me about grace and the love that He gives towards others, I have learned that I will never be in a position where I know too much and cannot be taught by someone else.  Willow's love for their community and outreach has revealed my lack of outreach to the people around me.  I tend to pour into just the people around me, the people in my seemingly Christian community, but in reality I am called to go OUT and just share what He has done for me.

This past Sunday at church was most definitely the best sermon at Willow.  Again, I will say it was a good church service.  We watched a guest speaker who preaches at a church in Detroit.  He spoke on the fact that unrighteous people can never work up to God, but people made righteous by God, out-pour His righteousness to those around them through gratitude to the Father in the form of good works.  His story was that in his "black church", church is cultural, it is the way a family lives.  Church is incorporated into their lives.  But, his question was then why do their neighborhoods (Detroit) suffer from some of the highest crime rates.  (Detroit's police stations are all closed at night because of how dangerous the city is.)  It is crazy how his analogy ties in so well with the name of my blog.  He said that so many churches, and Christians, put a cap on our salt shaker.  We keep the goodness of God and His gospel in our churches, in our hearts and forget to show God gratitude and OUT pour His righteousness to those around us.


This has challenged me to take the lid off of my mouth and openly outpour.  I don't feel equipped to take on such a heavy role but I am part of His body and He has made me with a purpose! "Little is made much in the hands of God."

THE GREAT I AM

I realize that I have not been keeping everyone that well informed regarding my summer thus far.  So here is the shpill....

My days at work have been phenomenal!  During project we are encouraged to acquire jobs so that we can begin to learn how to share our faith with coworkers.  I work at a place called Shoreline Sightseeing, which is one of the largest touring companies in Chicago.  At Shoreline I function as a "greeter", a fancy name for costumer service.  While working at this job, I have met a lot of coworkers who are outgoing and eager to talk and have conversation while working.  God has actually allowed me to have great conversation with them and even blessed me with a couple spiritual conversations.  This experience has helped me understand what it means to live every second of every day with a kingdom focus.  I have learned that no matter where I am at or who I am with, it is possible to share God's good news and be a light in this dark world.  

Also, in Chicago we go on college campuses and initiate in spiritual conversation as a way to present the gospel to students.  God has blessed me with fruitful conversations on campus.  The experience of sharing on the UIC campus has caused me to have to rely on God a lot.  Some days on campus seem so discouraging after every person we talk to does not want to hear about our God.  Through these days we have had to join as a community and remind ourselves that God is the One who works in someones life, He has the power to save not me.  I have seen my responsibility to God in being obedient in sharing His story with the students on campus and leaving the results up to Him.  My days on campus have not gone to waste by any means!  This past week on campus Amy and myself went sharing on campus a spoke with a girl, Helen.  At the beginning of the conversation, she refused to think that Jesus is the Son of God but also God Himself.  But almost three hours later and a Christ-centered conversation later, Helen declared that Jesus is God and He is the only way to have a perfect relationship with God.  Though we did not see Helen receive Christ, I know that He is working in her heart and that we will remain in touch and continue to pour into Helen spiritually while here in Chicago! 

 God has worked in marvelous ways throughout these six weeks at Shoreline, UIC and in my own life through what I am learning about Gods character.  Ever since the staff on project have left, leaving the leadership team with the job to write and plan out our Bible study and meeting topics, we have been delving into who the great I AM is.   Too many times when approaching the Bible, I try and make it all about myself.  I usually ask myself, "What can I gain from this passage." Or even less directly, if I'm struggling with something, I'll just look in the concordance and find verses that will just apply to me.  I have learned that this is a self-centered way of thinking, instead of a Christ-centered way to approach my spiritual growth, reading my Bible and quiet time.  Often when learning new things, I only want to learn so that I can better face situations for myself.  The purpose of my salvation is to give God, the great I AM, the glory.  The purpose of having the Bible to read is to see the person who is God.  The purpose of Bible studies are to point us to I AM.  Yes, I am being repetitive, but there is a point.  Our Bible studies are doing a great job of teaching me a lesson that, when I take the focus off of myself, then I am able to see how eternal, great, powerful, loving and how much of a light to this world I AM is!   

ENCOURAGEMENT

It never ceases to amaze me the way that God chooses to teach us things.  
Generally I am an oblivious person.  So most of the time I will overlook things until one moment, then all of the seemingly smaller things that happened previously begin to make since and the dots begin to connect in a spectacular way.  When all of the stars begin to align, all the small things really just blow my mind.  Mind=BLOWN!  
Something that has really just been mind blowing and incredible to watch (or in my case look back and see) is all of the encouraging words that have been showered on me lately, that could only be the product of a God centered, Jesus loving community.  
Taking some steps back...Sunday evening a friend of mine and myself wrote encouragement notes to several people in our Summer Project group.  I am a fan of encouragement notes so we wrote Scripture and encouraging words on 3x5 cards for these people.  Tuesday, in my small group Bible study we all did popcorn encouragement to each other.  Just this was mind blowing because we all only had twenty seconds to shower each other in encouragement.  My most favorite event was on Wednesday when a guy small group took my small Bible study group on a Creative Date.  Which is where a group of guys take the girls out to show them how much they appreciate their sisters in Christ.  The guys walked us to  probably the most beautiful little park I have ever seen and cooked dinner for us and gave us letters of encouragement.  Finally today my discipler took me to breakfast at a sweet little place in the city where we could have a county breakfast (biscuits and gravy for days!) This was our final time together, but I have no idea that she would also be leaving me with words of encouragement.  And still can you believe that I had not connected the dots yet?  
So, I get back to my apartment and actually began studying "truth" found in Scripture, when I got stuck on a reference, Hebrews 10:19-39.  Actually, the main idea of this passage is assurance through faith, but nesselled in there are two verses about Christian community which is the fruit of a true and pure relationship with Christ. I did not intent to come across these verses at all.   24"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."  WOW.  And then it hit me.  Yeah, it's great to hear good things about ourselves from other people, but the purpose of it is to stir up our love for Christ.  
When I read and hear encouraging words about myself, I hear that I am loving and care for others the most.  Actually, I probably struggle with this the MOST.  Honestly, I struggle to see past the picture of myself long enough to love other people.  These words being said, this is how I see myself.  In turn love for others is what I know God has wanted me to focus on, how I love others and can encourage and point them to Christ. How I can give that Agape love to everyone outside of myself.  
When I read these encouragement notes about my loving nature, I know that it is not me that they see.  Rather it is Christ changing me, because without Him I would just be a very very selfish and self-centered person.  It is awesome to see all of the dots connect when God uses community to point me back to how He is working in my life! 

Loving this SUMMER.  God is sooo good!