Yesterday I returned home from what was undoubtedly the greatest four day span of my life. I'm talkin' like pure incredible. The BIGSTUF camp in Panama City Beach, and you thought that PCB was all about gettin' hammered drunk right? Wrong! It was used for worship, possibly the greatest example of it ever.
Everything we do is through what we think. Our thoughts reflect our words, which reflect our actions, which reflects our habits, which defines who we are. The most important thing that we think is what we think when we think about God. When we think about how great he is, the work he does, the way he loves us.
I saw there greatest gesture of God's power, watching people confess that they need Jesus in front of nearly 2000 others. Hearing one of my best friends tell me that he wanted to get baptized. Might have been the thing that I looked for the most in going there. Talking about it to someone last night brought me to tears because I am so happy, the happiest I have been in the longest time. Just to know that I helped to the work of God in being there to bring others to him is awesome.
Being a leader there meant a little extra responsibility, and more things to go to. None of us where much enthused by the extra stuff but I did hear one thing that will stick with me the rest of my life. "God uses broken people to tell his story of restoration and redemption." We are all God's broken people!!! We have all been broken at some point, those of us to allow our selves to be lifted up by God go on to tell the world of this magnificent change.
There was a time when I was the one, broken and lost... Until I found The Rising, and it did just that, raised me up. Now I'm here, restored and redeemed, ready to show someone else the light. What a bright light it is...
People will read this and think I'm crazy.. Maybe they are right, I'm crazy about God. They'll realize that the person who they went to high school with would never be writing this, that I'm not even that person anymore. The glory of God goes beyond all fame...
Besides the nearly 2000 total, the nearly 200 of the Rising is what I really care about the most. I've never made so many friends in such a short period of time, the work of God is amazing... The way that people come together for him is impossible for anything else. That alone should be enough to show one the power he has.
Romans 12:2-Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
That first sentence means change the way you think. Or maybe it says to be reborn all together. Either way, change the way you think about God until you conform to the second sentence.
There's just no real way to put it into words, you just have to be there... I'm sure it won't be my last.
Think-Live-Serve-Love
-->Alex Richey<--
