Not In My Timing

When Camp ended and I went back to "just work" I was nervous.  Nervous because in my typical day-to-day life, I spend a lot of time alone.  I spend a lot of time alone and I don't particularly enjoy my job.  Because I don't enjoy being being alone and I don't always enjoy my job, I was not looking forward to Camp ending.  Camp was something to get up for in the morning.  It was something to look forward to during the day.  It meant people to love on and spend time with, a community.

Something that I can't quite seem to get through my thick skull is that God's timing is perfect.  The transition from Camp and work back to just work was not nearly as terrible as I had been expecting.  For the first couple weeks, my friends were still around and Britni and I started a fun new project so I had something to be excited about.  Also, a few other counselors and I organize a youth group for the teens at Camp and we began getting the ball rolling for that.  I got nervous again when friends started going back to school though.  Not all of them went very far, but they all have their own lives at school.  I was in college once--it's your whole world while you're there and that's how it should be.  Knowing this, I did not anticipate feeling great when people went back to their lives at school.

Something I can't quite seem to get through my thick skull is that God's timing is perfect.  During the summer, I volunteered at my church's Sunday school (Promiseland) and right around the time that camp was ending, a girl that I'd met once or twice before was volunteering on the same Sunday I was.  We got to talking, and we both mentioned the fact that we wished there was more of a ministry for college graduates/20 somethings at Cedarbrook.  A few days later I found out she was starting a small group and she wanted me to join.  Around the same time, the Youth Pastor asked me if I would consider helping out during the school year too.  I said heck yeah!  Well, as I began to get nervous about friends going back to school, he asked if I would be able to be a "full timer" and come every Sunday instead of just a "half" coming two Sundays a month.  I have been going to Cedarbrook Community Church for about three years now and I've been wanting to get plugged in more and more.  At first I couldn't seem to get my foot in firmly, and now things just seem to be falling in my lap.  I've since gone to a meeting about Promiseland as well as another special event for people getting involved in ministry at Cedarbrook.  I've met new people at church and I've realized I already know more people than I thought.  Community is great.

I have been really enjoying myself the past couple of weeks getting ready for the start up of the youth group, starting at Promiseland, and anticipating the beginning of the new small group.  God has given me things to keep busy with.  It doesn't matter that I don't particularly like my job because my job is no longer my only purpose.  It is a great feeling.

I am excited and slightly intimidated by the fact that some of the activities God is filling my life with are pretty much directly related to furthering His Kingdom. As followers of Christ, we should be out there, actively spreading His word and love and truth and I've never felt that I have done a very good job of it.  Now it's like I'm really on the front lines.  I feel like He is sort of giving me more responsibility.

Anyway.  God is great and I'm not sure why I can't quite seem to get it through my thick skull that His timing is perfect.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord..."
 Jeremiah 29:11

I'm pretty sick of rain.

I understand the importance of rain. I do.  I promise.  I can't seem to help feeling frustrated about so many straight days of it though.  I am actually surprised that the sky has not run out of water to chuck down around me.

On a lighter note, this made me laugh a little.  The view from behind our office building:

Yeah, there's usually a tiny creek running though there to a drain pipe that you can't even see in the second picture.