Hello, Jesus

Jesus is so unpredictable. It’s kind of frustrating because that means that I can’t figure him out, which means that I can’t be in control. I don’t like that too much… control is kind of my comfort zone. College life has been a both exhilarating and frustrating. It’s Frustrating because, as I was telling my dad the other day, I just don’t see Jesus here. I feel like he just doesn’t have any foothold in these college students' lives… in my college life. I’ve been frustrated pretty much all week- until today. I got one of the most amazing emails of my life. It made me realize that how I see things and how God sees things are so very different.

As mom told me about all of your day yesterday I was so thankful that Jesus finally got around to showing up @ Howard Payne. Your willingness to work so hard as an AT and do the dirty jobs, sharing your goodies w/ your roommate, and even your interaction w/ the Spanish teacher are all ways Jesus is showing up @ Howard Payne. Isn’t it funny that you were looking for Jesus somewhere else and He showed up in you! That’s how He is, playing extreme hide-n-seek in our lives, suddenly leaping from hiding and scary the holy crap out of us! He’s pursuing you, loving you, and scaring you all @ the same time w/ a wild look of joy on His face. I was so proud to hear about how the senior AT’s feel about you. That kind of divine favor is Jesus leaping out and saying, “Gottcha!”. I saw Jesus in you last night in my daughter!
Jump 1st
DAD

Hmmm… wow. There is not much I can say to that but “HELLO JESUS!!” I can’t believe I missed him! It reminds me of a story about Elijah. God tells Elijah to go stand up on a mountain because the presence of the Lord is about to pass by. So Elijah goes up there and this massive wind comes through and just tears up the mountain and shatters the rocks, but God’s not in the wind. Then there is this huge earthquake, but God’s not in the earthquake either. After that there is this scorching fire, but God’s not in the fire either. Finally, it says there is a gentle whisper and Elijah pulls his cloak over his face and falls to the ground because he knows it's his Lord. WHAT?! A gentle whisper?! Why wasn’t he in the big stuff?! I didn’t really understand that at first but now I realize that God doesn’t have to flaunt his power or do what we want him to. He’s God. He knows what he’s doing better than we do. He’s in ever aspect of our life; he’s there even when we don’t see him.

1 Kings 19:11-13 (The Message)
Then he was told, "Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by." A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper. When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, "So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?"