This past weekend I went out of town for the annual Student Leaders' Retreat. The student ministry staff at church organize a retreat weekend for those of us who volunteer with our 5th through 12th grade students and it's always such an incredible weekend. They intend for it to be a time that we can get out of town, be refreshed, be challenged by some teaching, and be encouraged by one another.
Friday night was no exception to any of those things... especially the "be challenged" part. One of the questions from our breakout session that evening was "If God said He was taking _______ away, what would that be? and How would I feel and react to that?" Wow, what a way to start the weekend!
There have definitely been times in my life when things have been stripped away and I've had to reevaluate where my priorities were. Most of the time when I hear questions like this, I want my true and honest answer to be, "My world would fall apart if I didn't have Christ." And while a portion of that is definitely true, there usually is something else out there that I've put before him. As I talked with a lady who has been somewhat of a mentor of mine, I was able to explain that for so long I searched for what it was I could be good at and really love doing. Growing up, I was good at many things, but not great at one thing. The truth is though, that those "things" aren't what define us. And if I was being honest with myself right now, I would be crushed if I wasn't able to take pictures and capture life as it was happening... for me or for others!
As we worshiped together on Saturday night, God reminded me that regardless of what turns life may take, that He will never leave me or forsake me. He loves me far more than I could ever imagine and when we face trials (when, not if), He'll be right there to hold on to. So, I'm choosing to keep my hope in Him :-)
