Looking back on the year, I have to say that 2011 was by far the best year of my life. I know I say that at the end of every year, but I take that as a positive sign of God's growth in my life. This year definitely has been a year of transformation. Coming into January, I was mid way through my junior year, and just starting to truely figure out my identity in Christ. I was putting old desires and dreams in the past, as well as insecurities. I felt comfortable and complacent.
That's always a sign that God's about to rock your world.
At the student leadership Christmas party, two of my closest friends and sisters gave me a book to read - nothing out of the ordinary. I graciously smiled, and put the book aside when I got home, picking up my crochet needles for the rest of break instead. Around the time school started, I decided to at least give the book a shot to see what all their fuss was about. My world was wrecked. In the book, The Irresistible Revolution, Shane Claiborne challenged everything I had been comfortable with my stances on before: sacrificial love, patriotism, money, war, faith permeating into every aspect of life. This book was so different from all other things I had read before, as instead of stating things and imperatively telling me what to believe, Shane simply asked questions and gave examples from the life of Jesus, as well as amazing men and women of God like Mother Teresa. Through lots of prayer on my part and lots of writing on his, Shane opened my eyes to the apathy and lack of faith of the church. Why do we simply treat the symptoms of homelessness and poverty, but never try to treat the cause? Why do we let petty things like nationalism and immigration laws blind us to the horrors of labor trafficking? Where did this myth of redemptive violence come from, and why are we preaching Matthew 5:44 and then killing those that God said to love?
I began to see that God was more than in a church or Bible study. God was even more than trying to save our close friends. God truly should be a part of every aspect of our lives. We had to "preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words." What's more, we had to tell the world.
With words from Shane and Acts ringing in my ears, I prayerfully signed up for the student leadership mission trip to China. One of the things God blessed me with earlier in the year that helped me prepare immensely was Healing Place Church. While the Chapel was still solidly my home, at HPC I found a body who was radically sold out to the idea of service and love. (They seriously are amazing, and I would really encourage you to check out the book Servolution by pastor Dino Rizzo). Being a part of their outreaches and family really modeled for me what a true servant's heart should look like (and then on Sundays backed it up with examples from Jesus! What an incredible combination.) Eventually the end of May came, and I went across the Pacific with the rest of my team to Guangzhou, China. It was there that God taught me that true evangelism wasn't always about having gospel conversations with people. Everyone is like a puzzle - some are 5 pieces, some are 5,000 pieces. Each one of us is only one piece in their life. But if even one piece is missing, the puzzle can't be finished. He also showed me through stomach problems there, that I have a heart idol of comfort. That realization has exposed the root of so many of my actions. I'm still giving it over daily, but once I gave it over to Him, I was able to focus renewedly on reaching out to others, both in China and in the states.
I feel like everything that happened from January to July happened to build me up for this semester. Shane and HPC taught me to not major in the minors and to put love and service above everything, letting Christ radiate in every area of life. China really taught me what evangelism is. All of them matured me greatly spiritually. This semester, a handful of friends and I felt the call to reach out to our school. We started with prayer in the mornings that soon turned from 10 to 40 people, as more and more Christians started to gain boldness in the fact that they weren't alone. People have been emboldened, families have been prayed for, and the entire atmosphere of the school is changing. God is so at work and his glory's shining in every classroom. Through all this, God has blessed me so much with the chance to lead a Bible study. At first, I was expecting 20-30 people, and was dissappointed when only five showed up. I soon found out though that the smallness of the group enabled me to work more one on one with everybody and be personally invested in each of their lives. It's been a beautiful sight watching them grow and seeing myself grow too as I have to hold myself to a higher standard to lead. I'm dedicating my final semester to investing in them even more and equipping them to develop into the next generation of leaders at our school.
Looking back on 2011, my regrets are few and my list of experiences I cherish is long. But I pray that it'll be even longer next year. I'm praying the same for you too, dear reader, that next year you will grow exponentially like never before in spiritual maturity and as always, that faith, hope and love will abound in everything you do. So let's laugh and cry to put the old year behind us, and join hands and jump into 2012. Pax vobis :)
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