It's My Life - Melody Carlson [74]
Believe it or not, we are on the road right now. I'm sitting in the back of the church van. We had to leave early this morning, but for the most part, our parents seemed to understand (thanks to Tony giving them a little parental pep talk, I think). Josh is sitting up front, right next to Greg, and they've been talking nonstop for hours. Rick (the quiet one) is right behind them, reading his Bible.
Yes, it's kind of weird that I'm the only girl along, but that's okay. We'll drive all day and all night, taking turns sleeping and driving, and we should make it to Urbana by midday tomorrow, in time to register and find our rooms in the college dorms. I have this wonderful sense of excitement, like something really big and powerful is going to happen to me, like God is going to crystallize all these things that have been bouncing around inside of me.
I've studied the brochure carefully and feel like I pretty much know what to expect. There will be speakers and workshops, and then there will be an area set up with booths from all the various mission groups. I'll be looking for a group that knows something about feeding kids on garbage dump heaps. Yes, it sounds kind of silly, but I feel pretty sure they'll be there and that they'll understand exactly what it is I'm talking about. And I'm expecting God to give me some definite direction, like whether to go directly to college or to take a year off to explore some of these things. And I'm willing to do whatever He says. I just need to know what that is. And my key verse for this conference is from Proverbs 3:5-6, and perhaps this will be the key verse for the rest of my life. Not a bad one to have.
It goes like this:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
And so that's what I'm doing. And it's amazing how peaceful that makes me feel inside. Kind of like nothing can go wrong because I'm holding on to God's hand. Or better yet, He's holding on to mine. And I'm pretty sure if I should accidentally let go, He will still be hanging on. And let me tell you, that really takes the pressure off. Did it concern me that Josh was coming along to the missions conference with us? Okay, to be honest, it bothered me a little bit, just to start with (because I didn't want anything to distract me from what God is showing me).
But then I prayed and got over it, and now I'm totally glad. I mean, it's pretty exciting to have a good friend along who's going through a lot of the same stuff. And I know that we both understand each other and our commitments, and so I'm not worried about anything turning into a “distraction.” It's a good feeling to know that we are both growing up these days, not only in ourselves, but in the Lord also. And I cannot wait to see where God is leading us. What a totally wild, fun, and wonderful ride it's going to be!
THANK YOU, GOD!
The publisher and author invite you to check out the
Diary of a Teenage Girl website at:
doatg.com
a personal note from Caitlin…
Dear Friend,
Do you feel like God is nudging at your heart to make a commitment to Him–any sort of commitment? It's best not to put it off, you know. Hey, remember what happened to me???
So,…I invite you to sit down right now before God and consider how He may be leading you. Is He asking you to give Him your heart today? Is He asking you to dedicate your body to Him first and abstain from sex until after marriage? Can you hear His voice speaking to you?
Sometimes it helps to write this kind of promise down. You can do that in your diary like I did, or you can write it down here. Then hide it away if you like, but just don't forget it. Because a promise like this is important–both to you and to God. Because you're His child, and He's always listening.