February 19, 2006

So there's this fear I've been having for a while.

It involves the youth of the church at which I used to be a part-time counselor.

When I left, and continued to go to the church for morning services, I received alot of the cold shoulder. I was very worried that it was because the youth hated me either for leaving, or for some other reason.

That being said, I showed up at the youth group tonight, stopping by to tell the associate pastor my good news about my acceptance to my new college.

I was terrified that walking in would be like walking into a roomfull of strangers.

That being said, I prayed for the strength to walk in like I would have two months ago. And as I walked in...

One of the youth, the sister of one of my best friends, immediately said something to me, not in the context of a weird hello, but in the context of a conversation that was being continued from a previous date. She single-handedly broke the ice that I felt was there. From there, it was almost like a normal day at youth again, except I left after a few minute instead of staying the entire time.

In fact, the reason I left ended up being another place where God showed me today how amazing the human person can be.

I bought a book yesterday, and once I got it home, I found out that my mother had bought it for me, for my birthday.

So today, after leaving the church, I went to exchange it for something else. When I got there, I met the two people behind the counter at the bookstore, one the clerk, one the manager, and outside of the two places where I've worked and personally known the employees, I've probably never met two friendlier people in a place of work. They completely acted like they already knew me, and were completely willing to help me out with my predicament. For the first time in a while, I left an unfamiliar store feeling completely happy about what had gone on inside the store itself. I include that because whenever I least expect it, God shows me how simply amazing and loving people can be to each other, if they so choose to be.

On the way home from that, I stopped by my old place of work, and ran into my friend that was having struggles with knowing God a while back.

We talked for awhile tonight, and I actually asked them pretty bluntly how they and God were doing these days.

I got a reply that they had attended a revival last week, and that they and God were getting along better these days, and that they truly desired to have a good relationship with God, now.

The last thing that was a particular blessing that I noticed was that God sort of gave me a gift of catching my body up on the sleep that I have been needing so badly over the last week or so. I slept far beyond the acceptable time allowed by most people, in their conscience, but woke up feeling truly rested for the first time in a while. Yeah, I think sleep can be a blessing. I said it.

Isn't it funny how God can take what we anticipate to be the most trying and uncomfortable situation, and turn it into something we look back on with truly fond memories?