Reflection

This life is so temporary.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  (2 Corinthians 4:18)

As my senior year has been passing by, the Lord has been tugging at my heart to surrender everything before him. I hadn't quite realized it before, but I expect there to be a sequence in which things happen in my life (My natural tendency is to be very logical). However, God cannot unfold His plans in my life if I continue to have this mentality. Everything that goes against my expectations will be a disappointment, even if it will be part of God wonderful plan. Therefore, God has been slowly working in me by asking me to give up one thing at a time. In the midst of trying to hold onto my own accomplishments, pride, etc., I forgot how good it is to entrust everything to God! In Him there is so much peace, goodness, kindness, etc. He's going to take care of everything. In the past, God never failed to provide and so I know He will provide all my needs in the future.

I realized that a lot of seniors decide where they are going to college by looking at the financial cost. If they get into a good school, but it costs $40,000 a year and they didn't receive much in scholarships and financial aid, they end up choosing to go to University of Maryland. I recognized that I also have that mentality. I don't want to get myself in major debt during the four years of college. Who does? But then I realized that should not and is not the reason why I am choosing to go to UMCP. If it is God's will, I could go to any school He wants me to and God, in his wonderful ways, will provide for college. However, it is God's will for me to stay here and so, I choose to obey Him because his ways are the best.

I recently bought a new devotional book titled Jesus Calling by Sarah Young after having the Experiencing God Day by Day for several years. These devotionals are written in the perspective as if God is talking and this is the one from today.

"In Me you have everything. In Me you are complete. Your capacity to experience Me is increasing through My removal of debris and clutter from your heart. As your yearning for Me increases, other desires are gradually lessening. Since I am infinite and abundantly accessible to you, desiring Me above all else is the best way to live. It is impossible for you to have a need that I cannot meet. After all, I created you and everything that is. The world is till at My beck and call, though it often appears otherwise. Do not be fooled by appearances. Things that are visible are brief and fleeting, while things that are invisible are everlasting."

"In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  (Proverbs 3:6)

The Color Run is less than two weeks away and it has been a lot of work. Making fliers, designing tshirts, stenciling, arguing about which spray paint to buy (haha), meeting, trying to dye formulas, etc, but it's also been a lot of fun. Today I was reminded how I became the Vice President of NHS by one vote. That's kind of crazy. And I was also reminded how God is in control of the Color Run and how he showed me through a dream that we were to have a run. That's also pretty crazy. So I am in this position with four other friends not because of what I did, but because God put me here. I also find it really amazing how God put us altogether. The five of us work pretty well together. I believe each one of us bring important talents and skills while we plan the Color Run, which also reminds me of the Body of Christ works (I had Bible study on this last week). Not everyone can be an eye, ear, mouth, etc. However each person, no matter his or her position is indispensable. Therefore, it is really important to know my position, but also to value others' positions in the Body of Christ.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4)

Working with various people in groups throughout the years, you begin to identify people's weaknesses as well as the strengths. Sometimes I begin to notice more negative things than positive ones. But I learned that it is not good to continually criticize others of their weaknesses. Instead I should encourage others because every person is valuable. We also shouldn't be overcome by our weaknesses, but continue to persevere, continually surrendering it to God and we will one day be victorious. It's amazing how God can use a person's weaknesses to eventually make it their strong characteristics. All the glory goes to God!